On 24 July 2026, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation formally added the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) — the host of the Support. Don’t Punish campaign — to its registry of ‘undesirable organisations’. This designation prohibits IDPC operations in Russia, including the distribution of its materials online and offline. Crucially, it creates serious risks for people in Russia whom authorities may deem to support or collaborate with IDPC. Read this IDPC blog for more information.
If you may be exposed to Russian enforcement…
Out of caution, we encourage you to review any publicly accessible material that could connect you — or other people — to the Support. Don’t Punish campaign, and to remove anything that could expose anyone to risk. This could include:
- identifiable photos from campaign actions,
- social media posts that show support for the campaign,
- public records of campaign participation,
- any other material that could be interpreted as demonstrating support for IDPC.
In doing this, please consider others’ safety as well as your own.
We cannot know how Russian authorities may react to such materials, but there is a risk that campaign engagement could be interpreted as support for IDPC. Therefore, we urge the same precaution for activities that were organised independently, even where IDPC had no role in them.
If potentially sensitive material is hosted on Support. Don’t Punish websites, social media accounts, servers or any other platform managed by IDPC, please reach out through the safest channel available to you asking for its removal — no need to explain the reason.
Why we urge caution
Under Russia’s ‘undesirable organisations’ regime, people and organisations that are deemed to collaborate with designated organisations and their activities may face administrative or criminal penalties (up to six years of imprisonment). IDPC has therefore advised anyone exposed to Russian enforcement not to share or promote its materials and consider removing previous posts in relation to its work.
IDPC co-founded the Support. Don’t Punish campaign in 2013 and remains proud to host it and support it. At the same time, the campaign has always been a decentralised effort and its strength comes from the people, communities and groups who champion it, drawing on local knowledge, networks and expertise. Autonomous actions under the campaign banner should not be understood as IDPC activities, but we cannot assume that Russian authorities will recognise this distinction.
Solidarity in the face of repression
The Support. Don’t Punish campaign exists to advance more caring, effective and sustainable responses to drugs. Harm reduction, decriminalisation, and community leadership are central to this approach, which is informed by lived and living experience, the best available evidence, and international norms, standards and commitments — including the recent UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, adopted by the UN General Assembly with overwhelming support.
This work matters deeply in Russia, where punitive drug policies, related barriers in access to care, and attacks on civic space continue to harm people who use drugs and other communities affected by state violence and neglect. We therefore strongly condemn these attempts to shut down civic space and critical debate, and remain steadfast in the belief, goals and work that underpin the successes of the Support. Don’t Punish campaign.
But protecting the people at the heart of our movement has to come first. Which is why we would rather err on the side of caution than expose anybody to avoidable harm.
We are also reviewing our platforms to remove potentially sensitive materials. If you identify any, please do not hesitate to let us know at [email protected] or the safest channel available to you.
Thank you for your understanding and consideration.