On December 17, 2025, searches and interrogations of Indigenous activists took place in several regions of Russia. On that day, Daria Egereva — a defender of the rights of the Selkup Indigenous people and co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change — as well as Natalia Leonhardt, a long-time advocate and defender of Indigenous rights, were detained. Both women were arrested and placed in custody.

On June 16, during the UN Climate Conference in Bonn (SB64), human rights defenders, Indigenous representatives, and environmental activists held an international action, "Defending the Defenders." Participants demanded the release of environmental and human rights activists facing persecution in various countries around the world.

On 6 June 2026, a communication addressed to the Russian government concerning the case of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt was made public. The document was submitted by ten UN Special Procedures mandate holders. Such communications are published 60 days after being sent, regardless of whether the government concerned has responded.

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has criticized the deliberate isolation of human rights activists Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt, who have been detained in Russia for six months.

Judge T.S. Vakhrameev of the Basmanny District Court of Moscow has extended the pre-trial detention of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leonhardt. Family members, media representatives, and diplomatic staff were not permitted to attend the latest court hearing in the case of indigenous activists Daria Egereva and Natalia Leonhardt.

he arrest of Selkup activist Daria Egereva and human rights defender Natalia Leonhardt has generated widespread international resonance. Over the past months, dozens of media outlets in Europe, North America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as specialized environmental and human rights publications, have reported on their case.

At the 64th session of the subsidiary bodies of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB64), taking place in Bonn, the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change issued a statement in support of Selkup activist Daria Egereva and called on the Russian authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally.

From June 8 to 18, 2026, the 64th session of the subsidiary bodies of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB64) is taking place in Bonn, Germany.

At the 2026 UN Climate Week in Yeosu, South Korea, Ramona Duminicioiu from Eco Ruralis (Romania) spoke about human rights and expressed solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of Russia. Drawing on Romania's own experience with dictatorship, she reflected on the growing pressure faced by Indigenous communities and activists. IR

The discussions involved community leaders, scientists, knowledge keepers, women, and youth from Indigenous communities. Participants talked about how to integrate scientific knowledge with the centuries-old experience of local communities to address climate challenges. They also shared successful practices for adapting to climate change and preserving traditional ways of life in changing conditions.

As DW notes, the criminal case is based on a court ruling that declared the “Aborigen Forum” to be a subdivision of the “Forum of Free States of Post-Russia,” which had previously been designated as a terrorist organization. At the same time, the community itself had spent years engaged in human rights, environmental, and educational work, while its members spoke at UN platforms and cooperated with international organizations.

The cases of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt are increasingly becoming part of a global conversation about Indigenous rights and the crackdown on civil society in Russia. One of the latest indicators of this growing international attention is the creation of a Spanish-language Wikipedia entry for Daria Egereva. While seemingly symbolic, the article carries practical weight: it makes information about the case accessible to hundreds of millions of Spanish-speaking readers

The Guardian has published an article about Daria Egereva — an activist, a representative of the Selkup people, and one of Russia's most prominent Indigenous rights defenders — who has been held in pretrial detention for several months on charges of "extremism." The piece covers not only Daria's case but also the broader situation of Indigenous peoples in Russia: the pressure on activists, the impact of the climate crisis in the Arctic, the extraction of oil, gas, and mineral

Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt, who are charged with participation in a "terrorist organization" for their work protecting Indigenous rights, have become the subjects of a book published as part of the project Resistance Imprisoned.

One of the most resonant moments of the conference came from a civil society representative — Pierre Meysson, speaking on behalf of the Nyéléni International Network. He specifically appealed to the international community for the immediate release of three women activists: Daria Egereva and Natalia Leonhardt in Russia, and Isha Isri in Turkey.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has sent an official communication to the Russian authorities concerning new laws and practices that severely restrict the rights of indigenous peoples.

With this communication, the Committee has spotlighted a long, steady erosion of the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Russia

"Publicity is protection. International attention can save lives," participants emphasized, adding that silence under such conditions amounts to complicity.

The situation has taken on a symbolic dimension: at the very moment when the state officially emphasizes recognition of Indigenous peoples, their representatives and defenders are facing criminal prosecution.

On April 29, the Moscow City Court reviewed appeals against the extension of the pre-trial detention of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt. The hearing took place in the appellate building of the court. Both defendants participated via video link from Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 6. Earlier, on March 12, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow had extended their detention until June 15, 2026. The defense lawyers requested that the measure of restraint be changed to house arr