At COP31, Independent Indigenous Representatives from Russia Seek International Attention for Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt
Independent representatives of Indigenous Peoples from Russia are actively participating in numerous events at the UN climate conference COP31 in Antalya. In meetings with UN representatives, international organisations and participants in the climate negotiations, they consistently raise the criminal prosecution of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt, who remain in detention in Russia.
On 12 November, Indigenous representatives met with Astrid Puentes Riaño, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
During the meeting, Maria Michurova, a Sámi representative from the Sami Nisson Forum, thanked the Special Rapporteur for joining the joint letter sent by UN experts on 7 April concerning the cases of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt.
In her intervention, Maria described the situation of Indigenous Peoples in the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, the impacts of mineral extraction on traditional territories, climate change and increasing pressure on independent activists.
She paid particular attention to the criminalization of Indigenous rights defenders. She said that Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt remain in detention, and that the threat of lengthy prison sentences is a matter of serious concern.
Maria called on the Special Rapporteur to include the situation of environmental human rights defenders in Russia in her forthcoming thematic report, continue monitoring Daria and Natalia’s cases, and help establish safe channels through which activists unable to speak openly about rights violations can share information.
In response, Astrid Puentes Riaño confirmed that the situation in Russia, including the cases of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt, would be reflected in her report on environmental human rights defenders.
She recalled the UN experts’ earlier communication and subsequent public statements, stressing that work on these cases continues.
The Special Rapporteur also reported on her engagement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concerning the protection of climate conference participants from persecution and reprisals.
“All of you must be protected. Persecution of participants is absolutely unacceptable. This is a UN conference,” she stressed.
The participation of independent Indigenous representatives from Russia at COP31 helps draw international attention not only to the consequences of climate change and industrial development on traditional territories, but also to the safety of those defending their Peoples’ rights.
The case of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt remains one of the important issues that Indigenous representatives from Russia consistently raise at international COP31 events, seeking their release and an end to the persecution of independent activists.
@IR
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Photo: Indigenous Russia.
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