9 August — The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This edition of the Bulletin contains a selection of articles on the struggle for the rights of indigenous peoples living in Russia

A day for all indigenous peoples: their languages, their lands, their knowledge, their right to decide their own destiny. Daria Egereva and Natalia Leonhardt should be celebrating it with their communities. Instead, they are in custody for their work, which has always been peaceful.

On August 5, the Moscow City Court dismissed the appeals against the Basmanny District Court's ruling extending the pre-trial detention of Indigenous rights defenders Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt. As a result, they will remain in custody until at least September 15, 2026.

For more than seven months, Indigenous leaders, human rights defenders, environmental activists, and allies around the world have been speaking out in support of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt.

On the anniversary of the historic prisoner exchange between Russia, Belarus, and Western countries on August 1, 2024, the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) called for intensified international efforts to secure the release of Indigenous rights defenders Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt. “Indigenous rights defenders Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt have been detained in Russia since December 17, 2025, and are accused of alleged terrorism. The women are innocent, the

On June 11, a Moscow court extended the pre-trial detention of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt until September 15, 2026. Next week, the Moscow City Court will hear the defense's appeals against that decision. Please come and support Daria and Natalia! Your presence in the courtroom matters. Both Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt will participate in the hearing via video conference from the detention center. 📅 August 5, 2026 (Wednesday)🕚 11:40 a.m.📍 Moscow City Court

A number of countries, armed conflicts are accompanied by intensified repression against Indigenous representatives, restrictions on civil liberties, and persecution of those cooperating with UN mechanisms.

During the discussion of agenda item 3 of the 19th session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), dedicated to the rights of Indigenous peoples in conflict and post-conflict situations, Indigenous representatives from Russia spoke about the disproportionate impact of war and political repression on Indigenous peoples and called on the UN to strengthen its attention to these issues.

On the eve of the 19th session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva, a traditional coordination meeting of Indigenous representatives was held. During the event, participants were informed about the ongoing criminalization of Indigenous leaders from Russia, the criminal prosecution of human rights defenders Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt, and the international solidarity campaign in their support.

At the preparatory meeting of Indigenous peoples with members of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), held on the eve of the session's opening in Geneva, Sámi activist Andrey Danilov called for attention to be paid to the issue of Indigenous refugees.

As part of the international Indigenous festival Riddu Riđđu, taking place in Norway, representatives of Indigenous peoples from Russia held a special event dedicated to the deteriorating situation of Indigenous peoples in Russia, repression against independent activists, and the criminal prosecution of human rights defenders Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt.

Arctida, together with The Insider, set out to determine who actually speaks on behalf of Russia's Indigenous peoples at these forums, and whose interests they truly represent.

NGOs Arctida, the Batani Foundation, and the Indigenous Institute have presented a series of analytical reports and an investigation dedicated to how Russia shapes the international representation of Indigenous peoples. The authors conclude that on international platforms, Indigenous issues in Russia are increasingly represented by state structures closely linked to security agencies, as well as individuals affiliated with major extractive corporations.

The Anti-War Committee of Russia has published an analytical report, "Russia's List of Terrorists and Extremists: Political Designations, Compliance Risks, and Cross-Border Effects," examining the use of the Russian list of terrorists and extremists maintained by Rosfinmonitoring. The authors conclude that this mechanism is increasingly applied not only to combat terrorism but also against political opponents, human rights defenders, journalists, religious groups, and civil a

the Foreign Ministry's statements come against the backdrop of growing international criticism of the human rights situation of Indigenous peoples in Russia itself. In recent years, UN special rapporteurs, international human rights organizations, and Indigenous representatives themselves have repeatedly expressed concern over the criminal prosecution of activists, the dissolution of independent organizations, restrictions on Indigenous participation in international mechanis