Court Timeline: How the Case of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt Became an International Campaign

On December 17, 2025, Russia launched a large-scale operation against independent representatives of Indigenous Peoples. Searches and interrogations were carried out against at least 17 activists in ten regions. On the same day, Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt were detained. Seven months later, their case had become one of the most prominent international cases involving the persecution of Indigenous human rights defenders — and a symbol of what can happen to those who speak about Indigenous rights at the United Nations.

Daria Egereva is a representative of the Selkup people, an international Indigenous rights expert, and Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC). She has coordinated the participation of Indigenous communities in UN climate negotiations. Natalia Leongardt is a human rights defender with 20 years of experience. She has worked with organizations supporting Russia’s Indigenous small-numbered peoples and has developed educational programmes for Indigenous communities from Magadan to Murmansk.

Both women are charged under Article 205.5(2) of the Russian Criminal Code with “participation in the activities of a terrorist organization.” The formal basis for the prosecution is their alleged connection with the Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum, which was designated a terrorist organization by the Russian Supreme Court in November 2024. Russian authorities subsequently included the “Aborigen Forum” among more than 170 alleged “structural subdivisions” of the organization. Both women deny the charges, while human rights organizations describe the prosecution as politically motivated and connected to their peaceful advocacy and cooperation with international institutions.

Eight Months Without Freedom

Since their arrest, the courts have repeatedly kept both women in pre-trial detention without replacing it with alternative measures.

December 17, 2025 — The Basmanny District Court of Moscow ordered pre‑trial detention until February 15, 2026. The hearing was closed; defence lawyers were denied access to case materials. The court rejected defence requests for house arrest or bail.

February 11, 2026 — The Moscow City Court heard the appeal against the arrest. The hearing was also closed, family members were not allowed to attend. The court upheld the decision, confirming that the grounds for detention remained.

February 12, 2026 — The Basmanny District Court extended detention until March 15, citing the need for additional investigative actions. The defence again requested a more lenient measure, but the court refused.

March 11, 2026 — The Moscow City Court dismissed the appeal against the extension, upholding the Basmanny court's decision despite defence arguments about the lack of evidence linking the women to terrorist activity.

March 12, 2026 — The Basmanny District Court ordered a further three‑month extension, until June 15. The judge stated that the circumstances justifying detention had not changed and that release could hinder the investigation.

April 29, 2026 — The Moscow City Court rejected the defence appeals and left both women in detention. Egereva and Leongardt participated in the hearing by video link from Pre-Trial Detention Centre No. 6. Their lawyers had asked for house arrest instead. Both women rejected the charges.

June 11, 2026 — The Basmanny District Court extended their detention until September 15. Family members, journalists and diplomatic representatives were not allowed to attend the hearing. On the same day, details became public of a major communication from ten UN Special Procedures concerning the case.

August 5, 2026 — The Moscow City Court rejected the defense appeals and left the decision unchanged. Both women therefore remain in detention at least until September 15, 2026.

Over these eight months, the courts have repeatedly refused to replace detention with a less restrictive measure.

From “Daria’s Case” to “Daria and Natalia”

Initially, international attention focused primarily on Daria Egereva. Her name had been widely known in international Indigenous and climate circles, and she had represented Indigenous Peoples at UN climate negotiations.

Gradually, Natalia Leongardt also became a central figure in the international campaign. The campaign website now presents both women as human rights defenders whose work has focused on protecting the rights of Indigenous communities.

On April 20, 2026, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and 104 other human rights organizations issued a joint appeal demanding the immediate and unconditional release of both women, as well as an end to the prosecution of detained Indigenous human rights defenders.

The statement described the prosecution of Egereva and Leongardt as a dangerous precedent for Indigenous Peoples’ advocacy and for those supporting their work. It also called on other states to use diplomatic leverage to end the arbitrary detentions.

This marked an important shift: the case was no longer seen simply as the prosecution of one internationally known activist. It had become part of a broader concern about the criminalization of independent Indigenous rights advocacy in Russia.

The UN: A Broad International Signal

On June 6, 2026, a communication concerning Egereva and Leongardt was made public after being submitted to the Russian government by ten UN Special Procedures mandate holders.

The communication involved experts working on issues including human rights in Russia, arbitrary detention, climate change, a healthy environment, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, human rights defenders, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, counter-terrorism, and discrimination against women and girls.

The UN experts raised concerns about the prosecution of the two women and specifically examined whether Egereva’s arrest, which followed her return from COP30, could constitute retaliation for her cooperation with the United Nations. The communication also raised concerns about the potential misuse of anti-terrorism legislation against civil society.

“We express our serious concern that in the case of Ms. Egereva and Ms. Leongardt, it appears that counter-terrorism provisions have been used to justify actions aimed at restricting their legitimate participation in Indigenous Peoples’ governance, climate diplomacy, and United Nations advocacy, and advocacy for the rights of Indigenous Peoples.”

The unusually broad range of UN mandates involved gave the case significance beyond Russia’s domestic legal system. It placed the prosecution at the intersection of Indigenous rights, human rights defenders’ protection, climate justice and freedom of civil society.

Growing International Solidarity

The campaign has increasingly moved beyond specialized human rights organizations.

The case has been raised at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, at international climate events, and at Indigenous gatherings around the world. At the Riddu Riđđu Festival in Norway, participants were informed about the prosecution of Egereva and Leongardt, the court proceedings and the international solidarity campaign. Sámi activist Valentina Sovkina, who was also targeted during the December 17 operation, said that she was forced to leave Russia following the searches and pressure against Indigenous activists.

A defining moment came during the 19th session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva. UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Albert Kwokwo Barume mentioned Egereva's case directly, emphasizing the inadmissibility of criminal prosecution for peaceful human rights work and cooperation with UN mechanisms. Auluqi Kotierk, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, stressed that Indigenous leaders must not be subjected to persecution for defending their peoples' rights. During the session, independent Indigenous representatives from Russia held a coordination meeting, leaving empty seats for Egereva and Leongardt as a symbol of solidarity. Indigenous representatives also met with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who stated that the Office views such cases with “particular seriousness” and confirmed that it is already monitoring the case. Two solidarity actions were held in front of the Palais des Nations in Geneva, with demonstrators calling to “Free Daria Egereva! Free Natalia Leongardt! Free all Indigenous human rights defenders!”

By June, the case had attracted coverage from media outlets in Europe, North America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. It was also raised during the UN climate conference in Bonn, where Indigenous representatives, human rights defenders and climate activists held a solidarity action calling for the release of Egereva and Leongardt.

The campaign website has brought together statements from more than 15 organizations. Its central demand is now clear: “Freedom for Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt!”

In August, international attention continued to grow. Investigative outlet CORRECTIV published an investigation into repression against Indigenous rights activists in Russia, focusing on the cases of Egereva and Leongardt and the criminalization of the “Aborigen Forum.” The investigation also highlighted the broader consequences of the repression: some activists have left Russia, while others have stopped their public work.

“It Was Not in Vain”

In a letter from pre-trial detention, Daria Egereva thanked the international community for its support after the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change decided to retain her mandate as a leader of the Forum. She also referred to the UN experts’ intervention in her case.

"I am very moved by the Forum's decision and, as always, I cried. I thought about the SBSTA, about how they gathered, how they prepared the statement — did they make a statement at the Permanent Forum? I thank each and every one for their solidarity, as well as the Special Rapporteurs — those I know personally, and I am very grateful to all the others.

…In one of your letters, you wrote that "it was not in vain." Perhaps this was indeed necessary for the international movement at the UN to understand the full meaning of their work, why they are there, and why such a thing can happen…" — Daria writes.

Her message reflects the broader significance of the international campaign. For Egereva, international solidarity is not only about her own freedom. It is also about the ability of Indigenous representatives to participate in international institutions and speak about the rights of their peoples without fear of retaliation.

The cases of Egereva and Leongardt therefore raise a fundamental question:

Can representatives of Indigenous Peoples freely speak about the rights of their communities, participate in UN mechanisms and cooperate with other Indigenous Peoples around the world without fearing that this work will later be used against them in a criminal case?

This is no longer only the story of two women.

It is a question of whether Indigenous Peoples will continue to have the ability to speak independently about their rights — both in Russia and on the international stage.

Following the December 17 operation, some Russian Indigenous activists left the country, while others stopped their public activities. The cases of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt have become a symbol of what happens when peaceful human rights advocacy is treated as a threat.

Freedom for Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt!

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