Rostislav Pavlishchev

Speaker at the St. Gallen Symposium

Russian political activist and human-rights figure known for his involvement in independent civic and anti-war activities, particularly in opposition to the current Russian government's policies:
He is described as a Russian human-rights activist and coordinator associated with the movement Open Russia, which is recognized as an independent civic group and is labeled a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities.
Pavlishchev has worked with and coordinated initiatives tied to civil society organizations focused on monitoring repression and defending democratic freedoms in Russia — for example as a regional coordinator for OVD-Info, a group that tracks political arrests and human-rights violations.
He has also been involved with the Anti-War Committee and the support project "Through the Wall," aimed at helping political prisoners in Russian penal colonies and Ukrainian prisoners of war.
According to some reports, he has lived in exile in Lithuania since leaving Russia and has participated in events, talks, and educational discussions about democracy, civic engagement, and opposition to repression. There are media accounts that mention legal actions taken against him in Russia related to laws on "undesirable organizations," a category in Russian law used to restrict activities of certain civic groups.