Indigenous climate advocate imprisoned in russia after un advocacy work

Russian authorities have jailed Daria Egereva, a prominent Indigenous climate advocate who has spent years fighting for Indigenous rights at the United Nations. The Selkup woman from western Siberia was arrested on December 17 following a home search where officials confiscated her digital devices, in what international observers are calling direct retaliation for her advocacy work.

Egereva has served as co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change since 2023, helping facilitate Indigenous participation in UN climate meetings including the annual COP conferences. At COP30 in Brazil, she pushed for greater inclusion of Indigenous women in climate negotiations, arguing that protecting women is essential for humanity’s future. Her research has also highlighted how the global green transition often marginalizes Indigenous communities and threatens their land rights.

The arrest appears connected to Egereva’s involvement with the Aborigen Forum network, which advocated for Indigenous rights in Arctic development before Russian authorities designated it an “extremist organization” in July 2024. She now faces up to 20 years in prison, with her next court hearing scheduled for February 17. Another Indigenous advocate, Valentina Sivjubam, was also searched by authorities the same week, suggesting a broader crackdown on Indigenous activism in Russia.

International Indigenous organizations have condemned Egereva’s detention as part of a disturbing global pattern of reprisals against Indigenous advocates. According to Global Witness, over 2,000 environmental and land defenders—nearly a third of them Indigenous—were killed or disappeared between 2012 and 2024 for their work protecting their communities and the environment.