A Chair for Daria: Egereva’s Letter Is Heard in Antalya and Reprinted by Cultural Survival
Cultural Survival has published a piece about the letter from Daria Egereva. It is a reprint of the text that appeared on 8 November on the Indigenous Russia portal and on our website of the campaign for her release. We are glad that Daria’s words are travelling further.
The letter was read out in Antalya at a meeting of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), held ahead of the COP31 climate conference. Daria Egereva, a member of the Selkup people, is one of the Forum’s Co-Chairs. But she is not at the negotiating table today. Her letter takes her place.
What stands out is how she writes. She does not ask for pity. On the contrary, she asks her colleagues not to be sad. She remembers Antalya, where she was once happy, and does not want to sadden the land that holds her love. She pictures her colleagues setting up equipment, answering questions, raising their hands and making decisions by consensus. She remembers every detail of their shared work.
She writes about her arrest as something that is not only hers. In her words, it is her voice at UN platforms that is on trial, but it is a collective voice. She is not alone, she says, and she asks them never to give up.
In Antalya, a chair has been kept for her, with her portrait and the words “Reserved for Daria Egereva.” An empty seat at the table says as much as any statement could.
Who is Daria, and what happened to her
Daria Egereva was detained on 17 December 2025, a few weeks after returning from COP30 in Belém, Brazil. According to reports, police searched her home and confiscated her electronic devices. The search was part of a wider operation: an FSB raid targeting 17 Indigenous leaders across Russia. Most of those detained were released, but Daria was kept in custody. She has since been held in Moscow Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 6, and the courts have repeatedly extended her detention. The charge carries a potential prison sentence of 10 to 20 years.
Daria is well known as a defender of Selkup rights. She grew up in the Tomsk Region and studied at Tomsk State Pedagogical University. She raised questions about Selkup education and language. According to the latest census, there are 3,458 Selkups in Russia, and 975 of them speak the Selkup language. Climate, land and the future of a small people are at the heart of the work for which she is now on trial.
Who has spoken in her defense
The case has long gone beyond Russia. Memorial has recognized Daria as a political prisoner, stating that her prosecution violates the rights to self-determination, freedom of association and a fair trial. In June 2026, the UN called for the release of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt. Amnesty International issued an urgent action. And back in February, Cultural Survival, together with Indigenous Peoples from around the world, released an open letter and petition asking the Russian president to free Daria.
So this reprint is no accident. Cultural Survival has worked since 1972 to advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and self-determination, and its website is available in several languages. For us, this means Daria’s words will reach readers who do not follow the Solidarity Compaign.
What comes next
The letter ends with words of love and strength. Daria says she is proud of her colleagues and wishes them a good COP and a productive conclusion. It is hard to read this without remembering that the author faces up to twenty years in prison.
In Antalya, her chair remains empty. But her voice is with them. We will continue to follow this case and to publish materials about Daria and other persecuted Indigenous rights defenders.
Free Daria Egereva. Free the persecuted defenders of Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
Sources: Indigenous Russia, 8 November 2026; Cultural Survival, 10 November 2026.
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