Prohibited activities: demonstrations, online posts, and prohibited organizations

This page explains which rules apply to Turkish citizens in Russia regarding participation in demonstrations and meetings, online posts, prohibited organizations, and religious activities. It presents only the rules and penalties under Russian law. Some of these violations may result in administrative detention, deportation, or a ban on entering Russia in addition to a fine. Rules and lists change frequently; check official texts before traveling.

• In Russia, meetings, rallies, demonstrations, marches, and pickets are regulated by Federal Law 54-FZ.
• Who may organize them (Art. 5(1)): the law lists Russian citizens, political parties, other public organizations, and religious groups as possible organizers. A Russian citizen organizing a demonstration, march, or picket must be at least 18; a person organizing a rally or meeting must be at least 16. Foreigners are not included in this list.
• Notification (Art. 7(1)): the organizer must submit written notification to the regional or local administration no earlier than 15 and no later than 10 days before the event.
• What participants may not do (Art. 6(4)):
  • conceal their face with a mask or other means
  • carry weapons or items that could be used as weapons
  • be intoxicated at the event
  • use distinctive markings belonging to members of the press
• Penalties (Code of Administrative Offenses, Art. 20.2, text dated August 4, 2026):
  • violating event rules as a participant: 10,000–20,000 rubles or up to 40 hours of community service
  • participating in an unauthorized event where the event disrupted transportation, social infrastructure, or life-support facilities: 10,000–20,000 rubles, up to 100 hours of community service, or up to 15 days of administrative detention

• Key provisions of the Code of Administrative Offenses (text dated August 4, 2026):
  • Mass distribution of extremist materials (Art. 20.29): mass distribution of materials included on the federal list of extremist materials, or producing or storing them for the purpose of distribution: 1,000–3,000 rubles or up to 15 days of administrative detention and confiscation of the materials
  • Knowingly searching for and accessing extremist materials (Art. 13.53): including searches on the internet using means of accessing blocked resources, such as a VPN: 3,000–5,000 rubles (see R8.6)
  • Distributing or publicly displaying prohibited symbols (Art. 20.3): Nazi symbols, symbols of extremist organizations, and other symbols prohibited by federal laws: 1,000–2,000 rubles and confiscation or up to 15 days of administrative detention
  • Incitement to hatred and hostility (Art. 20.3.1): publicly, including on the internet, based on gender, race, nationality, language, origin, attitude toward religion, or membership in a social group: 10,000–20,000 rubles, up to 100 hours of community service, or up to 15 days of administrative detention
  • Public actions intended to discredit the use of the Russian Armed Forces (Art. 20.3.3): 30,000–50,000 rubles. If the action includes a call to participate in an unauthorized demonstration or creates a danger to life, health, property, or public order: 50,000–100,000 rubles
• Some actions are also regulated separately by the Criminal Code. For example, knowingly spreading false information about the use of the Armed Forces (Art. 207.3) and actions intended to discredit the Armed Forces (Art. 280.3).
• Meta: Meta Platforms Inc., the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is included on the list of extremist organizations by a decision of the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow dated March 21, 2022. According to the Ministry of Justice list, the decision does not cover WhatsApp's activities.

• Main official lists in Russia:
  • List of extremist organizations — Ministry of Justice of Russia (Минюст России). Organizations whose activities have been prohibited or which have been dissolved by court decision.
  • List of terrorist organizations — Federal Security Service (ФСБ России), the “Unified federal list.”
  • List of undesirable foreign and international organizations — the Ministry of Justice's open-data section (dataset No. 25).
  • Register of foreign agents — Ministry of Justice.
  • Federal list of extremist materials — Ministry of Justice. Covers books, brochures, videos, and internet materials.
• Consequences:
  • Participating in the activities of an organization declared extremist is a crime: a fine of 300,000–600,000 rubles, 1–4 years of compulsory labor, or 2–6 years in prison (Criminal Code Art. 282.2(2)).
  • Participating in the activities of a foreign or international organization declared undesirable: 5,000–15,000 rubles (Code of Administrative Offenses Art. 20.33).
• Entries that may be relevant to people arriving from Türkiye (Ministry of Justice list, checked on October 17, 2026):
  • International religious group registered under the name “Nurcular” (Нурджулар): Supreme Court of Russia, April 10, 2008, activities prohibited
  • International religious group registered under the name “Tablighi Jamaat” (Таблиги Джамаат): Supreme Court of Russia, May 7, 2009
  • Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook and Instagram)
• The federal list of extremist materials also includes Russian-language editions of some books from Said Nursi's Risale-i Nur collection (for example, under a decision of the Koptevsky District Court of Moscow dated May 21, 2007). Mass distribution of listed materials and storing them for the purpose of distribution are prohibited (Code of Administrative Offenses Art. 20.29).

• Missionary activity (миссионерская деятельность): activity by a religious group aimed at spreading its beliefs to people who are not its members and bringing them into the group (125-FZ Art. 24.1(1)).
• Foreigners who are lawfully present in Russia may engage in missionary activity, but (Art. 24.2(3)):
  • only on behalf of a registered religious group or religious organization
  • only within the area where that group or organization operates
  • with an authorization document issued by the organization
• Foreigners who come to Russia at the invitation of a religious organization may engage in missionary activity only on behalf of that organization (Art. 24.2(4)).
• Missionary activity in residential premises is prohibited except for the exceptions provided by law (Art. 24.1(3)).
• Missionary activity may not be conducted on behalf of a group whose activities have been prohibited or suspended (Art. 24.2(5)).
• Penalty: a foreigner's violation of missionary-activity rules is punishable by a fine of 30,000–50,000 rubles; deportation may also be ordered (Code of Administrative Offenses Art. 5.26(5)).
• For places of worship, you can consult Ruski Gazeta's Mosques and Places of Worship guide.

• A foreigner who is penalized two or more times within one year for an administrative offense related to public order and public safety will not be granted permission to enter for 5 years (114-FZ Art. 27, paragraph 11).
• A foreigner who has been deported will not be granted permission to enter for 5 years; a foreigner deported two or more times will not be granted permission to enter for 10 years (Art. 27, paragraphs 2 and 2.1).
• A foreigner with an uncleared conviction for an intentional crime will not be granted permission to enter (Art. 27, paragraph 3).
• For deportation proceedings and appeals, see R10.2.

• Failing to consider the penalties and entry-ban consequences of participating in a demonstration.
• Searching for and opening materials on prohibited lists using tools such as a VPN.
• Reproducing and distributing publications included on the lists, or carrying them for the purpose of distribution.
• Distributing religious publications or making invitations in the street or in homes without an authorization document from a registered religious organization.
• Failing to check official lists before traveling.

• Can I organize a demonstration in Russia as a foreigner? When listing who may be an organizer, the law does not include foreigners.
• What happens if I participate in a demonstration? In case of a violation, a fine, community service, or administrative detention may be imposed. Receiving two penalties within one year may result in a five-year entry ban.
• Is using Facebook or Instagram prohibited? Meta Platforms Inc. is on the list of extremist organizations. See R8.6 for restrictions and penalties concerning the platforms.
• Can I bring Risale-i Nur books with me? Certain Russian-language editions of some books are included on the list. Mass distribution and storage for the purpose of distribution are prohibited. Check the Ministry of Justice's federal list of extremist materials to determine which editions are listed.
• Where can I check the lists? In the Ministry of Justice's lists of extremist organizations and extremist materials, the FSB's list of terrorist organizations, and the Ministry of Justice's open-data section.

• Russian Ministry of Justice – List of extremist organizations
• Russian Ministry of Justice – Federal list of extremist materials (search, PDF, and CSV download)
• FSB – Unified federal list of terrorist organizations
• Russian Ministry of Justice – Open data (including the list of undesirable organizations)
• Russian Ministry of Justice – Register of foreign agents
• Federal Law 54-FZ: meetings, rallies, and demonstrations (full text)
• Federal Law 125-FZ: freedom of conscience and religious groups (full text)