Press release 11.13. 2026
COP31, Antalya, Turkey
Indigenous defender Daria Egereva’s letter from a Russian jail is heard across the COP31 venue through the voices of her Indigenous brothers and sisters: “I do not see my arrest as something directed at me alone. It is my voice at UN platforms that is on trial, but it is our collective voice, our appeals that we made to the ‘people in ties’,” she wrote. “In handcuffs, I feel you so strongly, as though, just as before, you were standing behind me. I know that whatever happens next, I am not alone.”
Daria is a Selkup Indigenous woman from Siberia and a co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC). She is a well-known advocate for her people, her land, and our planet. She has repeatedly spoken out at UN negotiations, including COP30 in Belém, after which she and her colleague Natalia Leongardt, an experienced human rights defender, were raided, searched, and detained in December 2025. They are facing up to 20 years in jail if unfounded terrorism charges are confirmed.
Several human rights organizations and United Nations independent experts have denounced this arbitrary detention as being not simply a domestic criminal prosecution, but also a form of reprisal for Daria and Natalia’s peaceful dialogue and cooperation with the United Nations.
Today, Russia received a “Fossil of the Day” award for “undermining the role in achieving the climate goals, global security, and climate justice.” But also for militarization, human rights violations, and repressing its own Indigenous climate experts.
“I am not alone in my cell. Our past is here too, sweeping over us once again like a tsunami, and, sadly, our present, which is so similar for all of us,” Daria writes. “This is your struggle too, and please, never give up, never.”
The full letter is available here Photos and videos are here
QUOTE SHEET:
Larissa Baldwin, Co-Chair, International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change:
“Daria’s arrest highlights the risk many Indigenous Peoples face while advocating for our rights. Daria is one leader, but the threat and lengths some states are willing to go to silence us for defending our lands and futures. Indigenous Peoples hold the knowledge and solutions to the climate crisis, and we have the right to remain on our lands, protect our territories and have our voices heard. Threats to Indigenous Peoples are about blocking climate action and securing a safe climate future for us all.”
Alexis Deswaef, President of the International Federation for Human Rights:
“Daria Egereva continues to inspire us as she carries on her fight from her prison cell in Russia. We stand with her and Natalia Leongardt and call once again for their immediate release. Peacefully engaging with UN institutions on Indigenous Peoples' rights and human rights is not and must never be treated as a crime."
Aivana Enmynkau, Nuvuqaghmiit Indigenous representative:
“It takes a remarkable degree of political imagination to mistake an Indigenous woman speaking at the United Nations for a threat to national security. One can only wish Russia applied the same effort to addressing climate change.”
Alicia Moncada (Wayuu), Cultural Survival Director of Advocacy and Communications:
“When a government jails Indigenous Human Rights Defenders simply for demanding climate justice at the UN advocacy spaces, it shows how afraid it is of the truth they carry: that Indigenous Peoples in Russia are being brutally silenced, dispossessed and persecuted. Cultural Survival stands with Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt and demands their immediate and unconditional release.”
Stefan Thorsell, Climate Advisor at International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs:
“The unjust imprisonment of a Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) is not only a severe human rights violation, but also an attempt to sabotage progress of climate talks vital for the future of the planet. Daria Egereva’s leadership, charisma, and dedication are thoroughly missed at this year’s COP31. But make no mistake: We are with her, and she is with us here in Antalya!”
Marta Schaaf, Programme Director for Climate, Economic and Social Justice and Corporate Accountability at Amnesty International:
"Daria’s experience reflects a wider pattern in which accusations of 'extremism' and 'terrorism' are being used against activists, helping those in power to silence independent voices while discouraging others from speaking out. Daria spoke out at COP30 and elsewhere in defense of her people and their rights, leading to her arrest. The Russian authorities should release her immediately and unconditionally and end the repression of Indigenous activists exercising their rights."
For media inquiries please contact:
Irina Kurilova, arinawadul@proton.me, Signal: @Solidarity.88
