Killed and Imprisoned: COP17 Remembers the Cost of Defending Nature
Updated: 5 hours ago
At the UN Biodiversity Conference COP17 in Yerevan, participants held a memorial action for environmental defenders killed for protecting nature and land. They also remembered those who are imprisoned. Behind discussions about ecosystems and conservation are people whose work can cost them their freedom—and their lives.
Remembering a Fellow Defender
Environmental researcher Eugene Simonov carried a portrait of Indonesian environmental lawyer Golfrid Siregar. The two had worked on the same campaign against the Batang Toru dam in North Sumatra. For Simonov, the action was also a way to remember someone with whom he had shared this work.
Watch: Eugene Simonov speaks after the memorial action at COP17.
Dangerous Work, Independent Voices
In the video, Simonov reflects on why environmental defenders face persecution. In his view, authorities fear people who can speak the truth and help others organise to defend their rights. He sees efforts to prevent independent groups from forming, particularly in environmental protection and Indigenous rights.
These concerns are being voiced by participants at COP17 itself. Protecting nature remains dangerous work: defenders are killed, while others are put behind bars. The memorial action brought their names and faces into a conference devoted to the future of biodiversity.
Among those remembered were Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt, who have been detained in Russia since December 2025. Their portraits formed part of a shared call for remembrance, protection and solidarity with environmental and Indigenous rights defenders.
Read more about the procession in our earlier report on the COP17 memorial action.
About Eugene Simonov
Simonov is an environmental researcher. His work focuses on freshwater ecosystem conservation, the environmental impacts of major infrastructure projects and public participation in conservation decisions. He holds a professional doctorate in nature conservation.
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