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Daria Egereva speaks at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024Courtesy of Teo Ormond-Skeaping/Loss and Damage Collaboration
Russian authorities have detained an Indigenous climate advocate, alleging her participation in a terrorist organization-a move international observers are calling direct retribution for her work championing Indigenous rights at the United Nations.
A Voice Silenced: The arrest of Daria Egereva
Table of Contents
The detention raises concerns about the growing repression of environmental and human rights defenders globally.
- Daria Egereva,a Selkup woman from Tomsk,Siberia,has been a prominent advocate for Indigenous peoples’ inclusion in climate negotiations.
- She was arrested on December 17 and accused of involvement with a “terrorist organization,” a charge widely condemned as politically motivated.
- The arrest follows a UN resolution criticizing Russia’s designation of Indigenous groups as “extremist,” and a reported increase in reprisals against UN advocates.
- More than 2,000 environmental and land defenders have been killed or disappeared since 2012,with Indigenous people disproportionately affected.
Daria Egereva, an Indigenous Selkup woman from the city of Tomsk in western Siberia, has been a vocal advocate for Indigenous rights at the United Nations for several years. Since 2023, she has served as a co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change-an official body that facilitates indigenous participation in UN meetings, including the annual Conference of the Parties climate change conventions. During COP28 in brazil, Egereva passionately argued for the inclusion of Indigenous women in climate negotiations, stating, “If we don’t protect women, we don’t have a future,” in a video published on social media on November 21.
Advocacy and Research
Beyond her work at COP conferences, Egereva has consistently advocated for better inclusion of Indigenous peoples within the United Nations system. She also conducted research into the impact of climate change on Indigenous communities in Siberia.
Arrest and Allegations
According to a press release from Cultural Survival, Egereva was arrested on December 17, 2024, and is accused of participating in the activities of a terrorist organization. Kinok, a human rights organization, stated that Egereva is currently being held and is expected to remain detained until her next court hearing on February 17. At that time, she could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Kinok explained that Egereva’s targeting is linked to her affiliation with the Aborigen Forum network, which was labeled an “extremist” organization by the Russian Federation in July 2024. The forum advocated for the protection of Indigenous peoples’ rights in the context of Arctic growth. Egereva was also associated with the center for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North, which Russian authorities shut down in 2019.
Valentina Vyacheslavovna Sovkina, a Saami advocate from Russia and a member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, reported that she was also subjected to a search by Russian authorities around the same time as Egereva’s arrest.
“During the search,they seized technical equipment and searched the premises,folders,books,and boxes for four hours. They compiled a report without leaving a copy and without allowing me to call a lawyer,” she said. “I believe I am being persecuted for my activism and my steadfast commitment to protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples.”
Egereva’s arrest has drawn condemnation from numerous Indigenous international organizations, including Cultural Survival, the SIRGE Coalition, and the International Indian Treaty Council. The IITC described the situation as “a grave case of intimidation and reprisal against an Indigenous leader in direct connection with her participation in the UNFCCC process,” referring to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
requests for comment sent to the Basmanny District Court of Russia and the united Nations went unanswered.
