Some 300 Russian anti-war activists met in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the eroding human rights situation in Russia and how to put an end to Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Anti-war Initiatives Congress 2025 was the third held since the start of Russia's invasion in February 2022. It brought together exiled Russian pro-democracy groups and human rights collectives. First held in Berlin, the congress has since moved to Brussels, where it was reportedly held at a secret venue.
The congress, which receives support from the European Union and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to unite Russia's often fragmented political opposition and act as a platform for high-level discussion with European partners.
The platform discussed issues such as means for Russians to escape military conscription, LGBTQ+ rights in Russia and the future of the country post-invasion. Notably academics, legal representatives, exiled politicians and members of Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) took part in the discussions.
The event featured workshops and exhibitions, such as the 120 Campaign, which honoured the 120 political opponents of the Russian regime, many of whom have been jailed for years at a time in poor conditions. Many Russians have been imprisoned for publicly opposing Putin's invasion or supposed "discrediting" of the Russian armed forces.
Not all anti-Putin groups attended the conference. Since the start of the war, the Russian political opposition has failed to find a common voice. The movement has fragmented over disagreements on how to call for the end of Russia's invasion and to break Putin's yoke over Russia.
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While many groups favour diplomatic initiatives, other factions such as Ilya Ponomarev's Congress of People's Deputies and the far-right Russian Volunteer Corps have staged similar protests and conferences this year calling for direct military action by Russians to depose Putin.
Since 24 February 2022, over 20,000 people have been detained in Russia in relation to their anti-war stance, of which nearly 19,000 were in connection to street protests during the early stage of the Russian invasion, according to NGO OVD-Info. Laws passed in March 2022 criminalise discrediting the Russian army or spreading so-called "fakes" in relation to Russia's war crimes in Ukraine.
