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. Over the following months, 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. Cultural Survival

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. The designation 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. FIDH

Repeated Extensions of Detention

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

December 18, 2025 — According to the UN communication, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow ordered pre-trial detention for both women until February 17, 2026. The hearing was closed; defence lawyers were denied access to key procedural documents. Read more

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. Joint statement

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. Read more

March 11, 2026 — The Moscow City Court dismissed the appeal against the extension, upholding the Basmanny court’s decision. UN communication

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. UN communication, AL RUS 3/2026

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. Read more

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. Read more

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

September 10, 2026 — Moscow’s Basmanny District Court extended the pre-trial detention of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt by another 2 months and 24 days, until 9 December 2026. The hearing was held behind closed doors; diplomats, journalists and relatives were admitted only for the announcement of the decision. Read more

Throughout this period, 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. Intercontinental Cry

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. FIDH

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.

Freedom for Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt!