Daria Egereva’s Name Raised Before the UN Secretary-General: Indigenous Peoples Demand Her Release
“Participating in the work of the United Nations is not a crime.” With these words, International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) representative Rodion Sulyandziga addressed UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a meeting with civil society during the COP31 climate conference in Antalya. He urged the UN chief to raise the release of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt personally with the Russian authorities.
On 13 November, Rodion Sulyandziga was among the first to speak at the UN Secretary-General’s meeting with civil society representatives, on behalf of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change.
His statement addressed the threats Indigenous Peoples face amid the climate crisis: competition for natural resources, expanding fossil fuel extraction, the destruction of traditional territories and increasing pressure on Indigenous rights defenders.
But towards the end of his statement, he named someone who, until recently, had herself participated in international climate negotiations.
Daria Egereva.
A representative of the Selkup People and Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change. At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, she helped coordinate Indigenous participation in the negotiations. Shortly after returning to Russia, she was arrested.
Now her situation has been brought directly to the attention of the UN Secretary-General.
“Almost a year ago, Daria Egereva, an Indigenous representative from Russia and Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change, helped lead Indigenous negotiations at COP30 in Belém. Just days after returning to Russia, she was arrested,” Rodion Sulyandziga said.
He stressed that Daria’s case cannot be treated solely as an internal Russian matter.
“Her case cannot be considered an isolated domestic matter for a state. It directly concerns the credibility and integrity of the UN climate process. It raises fundamental questions about the safety, independence and full participation of Indigenous Peoples in international forums.”
The statement came at a time when the international community is once again discussing the need to protect human rights, climate justice and Indigenous participation in decision-making.
For Indigenous representatives, this is about more than the fate of two human rights defenders. It is about whether people who speak at UN forums can return home safely. Whether they can defend their lands, culture and the future of their peoples without fear of persecution.
Addressing António Guterres directly, Sulyandziga said:
“Today, on behalf of the seven Indigenous sociocultural regions and our brothers and sisters gathered in this room, we appeal directly to you and your leadership. We strongly urge you to raise the cases of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt directly with the Russian authorities and demand their immediate release.”
Then came the words that became the central message of the appeal:
“Participating in the work of the United Nations is not a crime. Indigenous Peoples must be able to exercise their right to freedom of expression and participation in international processes without fear of persecution, imprisonment and reprisals upon returning home.”
In his statement, Rodion Sulyandziga also drew attention to the wider context. He said that shrinking civic space, restrictions on democratic freedoms and the selective application of international law directly undermine Indigenous Peoples’ ability to defend their rights.
He warned that Indigenous Peoples’ traditional territories are increasingly at the centre of geopolitical competition for critical minerals, oil, gas and other resources.
At the same time, Indigenous leaders who oppose extractive projects face growing risks of intimidation, surveillance and criminalization.
But no discussion of a just energy transition can be complete when Indigenous rights defenders themselves are deprived of their freedom.
Concluding his statement, Sulyandziga addressed the Secretary-General in personal terms:
“And we do not want to say goodbye. We continue to count on your leadership.”
The meeting in Antalya marked a moment when the demand to free Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt was voiced directly before the head of the United Nations.
Daria Egereva should have been able to continue her work in international climate negotiations. Instead, her colleagues must now use those negotiations to call for her release.
And the central question raised by Indigenous Peoples’ appeal to the UN Secretary-General reaches far beyond a single case: who will protect those who come to the UN to defend their peoples’ rights and the future of the planet?
Photo: IR.
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