The Price of Defending Nature Is Life and Freedom: COP17 Remembers Those Killed and Imprisoned
COP17 honoured the memory of murdered and persecuted environmental defenders. Photographs of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt were among the portraits.
On 29 October in Yerevan, on the sidelines of COP17 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, a silent procession was held in remembrance of environmental and human rights defenders who have been killed, have gone missing or are imprisoned because of their work.
Participants walked in silence, holding photographs of environmental activists and human rights defenders from around the world. The portraits also included photographs of Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt, who are imprisoned in Russia.
The action reminded participants in the international conference of the price that people in many countries continue to pay for defending nature, the lands and territories of their communities, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
One placard stated that at least 1,853 environmental defenders had been killed over the past decade.
Another drew attention to the gap between international commitments and their implementation: governments adopt targets that provide for the protection of environmental human rights defenders, yet in practice many continue to face persecution, violence and imprisonment.
Indigenous Peoples were a particular focus of the action. Participants emphasised that protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights and human rights is essential to conserving nature.
One placard also highlighted the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ free, prior and informed consent: where their traditional territories and their right to make their own decisions are not respected, ecosystems are also endangered.
The silent procession was both an act of remembrance and an expression of solidarity. It recalled those who have already lost their lives defending the environment, activists who have gone missing, and people who are now in prison and therefore cannot attend international forums themselves.
Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt were among those absent voices at COP17. Participants carried their photographs alongside portraits of other environmental and human rights defenders.
The central message of the action was that international commitments to conserve biodiversity cannot be fulfilled without genuine protection for the people directly defending nature, their communities’ lands and Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
Remembering those who have been killed, searching for those who are missing and securing freedom for imprisoned environmental defenders are also part of the struggle to conserve biodiversity.
IR
Original article: Indigenous Russia, 29 October 2026.
Comments