Geneva, Switzerland

Yesterday I wrote about contacting ProtectDefenders.eu while under active threat. This is a brief update on what happened next, and what it does and does not change.

I received an automatic reply. It states that ProtectDefenders.eu does not handle evacuations, does not arrange visas, and does not provide permanent relocation. Instead, they point human rights defenders to the forms of support that fall within their mandate: time-limited emergency grants, short-term relocation, security measures, legal and medical assistance, and organisational support.

That distinction matters. It reframes what can realistically be asked of them. In some cases, they may help someone remain in place a little longer or mitigate specific risks. They cannot remove a person from a hostile environment.

My original post was written in real time, from inside fear, anger, and disappointment. I am not taking it down. The emotional reality of reaching for help and discovering that no one is positioned to get you out is part of the truth of this situation.

The larger problem is not unique to one organisation. Existing protection mechanisms were not designed for systemic psychological and cognitive warfare, including counterinsurgency tactics developed for war zones and redirected into civilian space. They do not match the reality of being chemically suppressed, cognitively targeted, and kept in harm’s way within a civilian setting.

For people in this position, that leaves a difficult truth: there is no quick fix, no cavalry coming, and no external actor who can unilaterally remove us from danger. The support that exists is partial, conditional, and inadequate to address the actual harm and risk involved.

That gap is why a victim infrastructure will have to be built. At present, many of us are effectively on our own.

In response, I am publishing the next section of the ongoing manual I have been writing: Staying Operational, Section 2: Cognitive Resistance – Civilian Doctrine Under Psychological Warfare. It does not offer rescue. It offers doctrine for maintaining cognition, agency, and testimony when external systems cannot or will not remove you from danger.

You can read it here:

Staying Operational, Section 2: Cognitive Resistance

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drtamaradixon.substack.com