NRK Sápmi: Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt Are Missed at UN Conferences
On October 19, Norwegian broadcaster NRK Sápmi published an article highlighting the absence of Russian Indigenous rights defenders Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt from international UN conferences on biodiversity and climate change.
The article coincides with the opening of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia. In November, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) will take place in Antalya, Türkiye. However, the two human rights defenders, who spent many years helping Indigenous Peoples participate in such international events, remain in detention in Russia.
NRK Sápmi emphasizes that Egereva and Leongardt's contributions went far beyond simply attending conferences.
Daria Egereva, a representative of the Selkup Indigenous People, helped coordinate Indigenous participation in international climate negotiations through the International Indigenous Peoples' Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), including during COP30. She also contributed to work under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Natalia Leongardt, meanwhile, provided practical and organizational support that enabled Indigenous rights defenders to participate in multilateral international processes.
The Norwegian broadcaster also notes that Daria Egereva was nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
Both women have been held in pre-trial detention in Moscow since December 2025, facing charges of participation in a terrorist organization. They could face up to 20 years in prison.
As a result, UN conferences addressing biodiversity conservation, climate change, and Indigenous Peoples' rights are taking place without two human rights defenders who spent many years helping ensure that Indigenous voices were represented in these international processes.
Source: NRK Sápmi — “Leongardt og Egereva savnes på FN-konferanser”, October 19, 2026.
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