Shrinking civic space and marginalized populations in Eastern Europe & Central Asia

This report, prepared by the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) in partnership with the Eurasian Coalition for Health, Rights and Sexual Diversity (ECOM), the Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS (EWNA) and the Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN), documents the accelerating shrinkage of civic space across Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) and its direct implications for community-led HIV and TB responses.

The analysis reflects how the criminalisation of LGBTQI+ communities, people living with HIV, people who use drugs and sex workers intersects with broader restrictions on civil society, media freedom and public participation.

Drawing on structured data collection from ten countries in 2025, the report situates recent developments within international human rights standards and examines how civic space constraints undermine health, rights and community empowerment.