Daria Egereva, Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize: "I Was So Overwhelmed That I Still Can Hardly Believe It"
Russian Indigenous rights defender Daria Egereva, held in a Moscow pre-trial detention centre, has commented for the first time on her nomination for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Her words were reported by the Norwegian outlet NRK Sápmi, which managed to reach Egereva through an international support group.
"I was so overwhelmed that I still can hardly believe it. I received incredible news about my nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize," Egereva said.
She also said she would like to write an open letter of thanks to the people who nominated her.
"It is important for me to know who nominated me, so that I can thank that person," NRK quotes her as saying.
Letters from the detention centre pass through censorship
Daria Egereva is being held in Moscow's SIZO-6. Her lawyer, Olga Podoplelova, who specializes in constitutional law and human rights, currently lives outside Russia. As NRK notes, correspondence with Egereva passes through the censorship of the pre-trial detention centre administration.
According to Podoplelova, the nomination itself is of great significance regardless of what decision the Norwegian Nobel Committee ultimately makes.
"International attention alone will, of course, not necessarily lead directly to Daria's release. However, it can significantly raise the profile of her case and make it far more difficult for it to disappear from public attention," the lawyer told NRK.
For the peaceful defence of Indigenous, climate and peace rights
Daria Egereva's candidacy was nominated by Professor Øyvind Ravna and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples S. James Anaya.
In their nomination rationale, they stated that this is recognition of "her principled, non-violent and rights-based work on behalf of Indigenous peoples," as well as her many years of work on the interconnected problems of human rights, climate change and peace.
Daria Egereva belongs to the Indigenous small-numbered Selkup people. For many years she has worked to protect the rights of Russia's Indigenous peoples and has participated in international work at UN platforms. Since 2023, Egereva has been Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples' Forum on Climate Change.
In conversation with NRK, she stressed that she sees the nomination not only as recognition of her own work:
"The Lord's ways are mysterious. I am deeply grateful, but I know that this nomination does not belong to me, but to all Indigenous peoples. It represents the voice they wanted to share with the world, and I am merely an expression of that voice."
Arrest after COP30
In November 2025, at the COP30 climate conference in Brazil, Egereva spoke in particular about the need for the participation of Indigenous women in climate negotiations.
"If we do not protect women, we have no future," she said in a video published on 21 November.
After returning from COP30, Egereva was detained in Russia on 17 December 2025, and the following day a Moscow court placed her in custody. Together with Natalia Leongardt, she is accused of participating in the activities of an organization that the Russian authorities have designated as terrorist. Egereva faces 10 to 20 years in prison.
On 10 September 2026, a Moscow court ordered that Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt remain in custody until 9 December 2026.
Egereva herself told NRK:
"My arrest reminds everyone of what it means to be a representative of an Indigenous people, and I pay tribute to each of them for their work and tireless struggle for justice."
Olga Podoplelova draws attention to the stark contrast between Egereva's criminal prosecution in Russia and the international recognition of her work.
According to the lawyer, Daria is in pre-trial detention and risks 10 to 20 years in prison on a terrorism-related charge, while her peaceful work in defence of Indigenous rights and climate justice has received international recognition in the form of a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
"This contrast speaks for itself," Podoplelova stressed.
International organizations demand her release
As NRK reports, more than a hundred human rights and environmental organizations have signed a joint statement demanding Egereva's immediate and unconditional release. UN Special Rapporteurs have also appealed directly to the Russian authorities.
Amnesty International is running a campaign demanding Daria Egereva's immediate and unconditional release.
The Russian Embassy in Oslo, in turn, told NRK that it considers the assessments of a number of non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International, to be "politicized and biased." The embassy also criticized the institution of the Nobel Peace Prize itself, stating that in its view the prize is used as a tool of interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.
At the same time, the embassy declined to comment on the decisions of Russian law enforcement and judicial bodies in Egereva's case, suggesting that inquiries about the investigation be directed to the Russian Investigative Committee.
Valentina Sovkina: "Daria's work concerns the right of Indigenous peoples to freedom"
The NRK material also quotes Sámi public figure Valentina Sovkina, a member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. After the events of December 2025, Sovkina left Russia and now lives in Norway.
"I am glad that Daria has been nominated for this prize, and I express my gratitude and appreciation to those who nominated her," Sovkina said.
According to her, Egereva's work concerns the fundamental rights of Indigenous peoples:
"Daria's work is about the right of Indigenous peoples to freedom, participation in decision-making, protection of lands, the environment, traditional knowledge and, ultimately, the right to a dignified and quality life."
Sámi activist Andrey Danilov also called Egereva an example for the world's Indigenous peoples.
"Daria today is a symbol of the struggle for Mother Earth for all Indigenous peoples. That is why she deserves the Nobel Peace Prize as a sign of respect for the rights of all Indigenous peoples of the world," Danilov told NRK.
The laureate will be announced on 9 October
The name of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate will be announced on 9 October. The Norwegian Peace Research Institute PRIO did not include Egereva in its list of main expected contenders for the prize.
However, for her lawyer and Indigenous representatives, the significance of the nomination goes beyond the outcome of the Nobel Committee's vote: it draws international attention not only to the fate of Daria Egereva, held in pre-trial detention, but also to the protection of Indigenous rights, to which she has devoted her public work.
Source: Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, NRK Sápmi editorial team. /Original NRK Sápmi material/
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