Silencing the Steppes: The Criminalization of Indigenous Climate Advocacy in Modern Russia

Daria Egereva, a prominent Indigenous Selkup climate advocate and an internationally recognized voice for the rights of Russia’s "small-numbered" peoples, was scheduled to be at the United Nations headquarters in New York this week for the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Instead of addressing the global community on the intersection of environmental degradation and Indigenous sovereignty, Egereva is currently confined to a Russian prison cell, facing a potential 20-year sentence on charges of terrorism. Her detention, alongside fellow advocate Natalya Leongardt, marks what human rights experts describe as a chilling escalation in the Russian Federation’s systematic campaign to dismantle civil society and prioritize extractive industrial interests over the environmental and cultural rights of its Indigenous populations.

The arrests of Egereva and Leongardt occurred on December 17, though the full extent of the charges and the identities of those involved were only recently confirmed by international observers. The Russian state alleges that both women participated in a terrorist group, a charge stemming from their past involvement with the Aborigen Forum. Until its forced dissolution by government decree two years ago, the Aborigen Forum served as an informal yet vital network for Indigenous advocates across Russia’s vast northern and Siberian territories. By designating this advocacy network as a terrorist entity, the Kremlin has effectively criminalized the very act of Indigenous self-organization and international cooperation.

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A Growing Pattern of Repression and Authoritarianism

The plight of Egereva and Leongardt is not an isolated incident but rather a cornerstone of a broader, more aggressive shift toward authoritarianism within the Russian Federation. Analysts note that this trajectory has accelerated significantly since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Laura Henry, a professor of government at Bowdoin College and a scholar of contemporary Russian politics, suggests that Indigenous activists often serve as a "bellwether" for the state’s repressive strategies. The tactics refined against these vulnerable communities—labeling advocacy as "extremism" or "terrorism"—are frequently later deployed against environmentalists, human rights lawyers, and feminist groups.

Egereva’s background highlights the international stature of those now targeted by Moscow. As the current co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), she has been a fixture at U.N. climate summits, representing Indigenous perspectives on a global stage. Her work has focused on the "security of land rights," a concept that is often at odds with Russia’s economic reliance on fossil fuel extraction. Joan Carling, co-founder of Indigenous Peoples Rights International and a member of the Kankanaey people of the Philippines, describes Egereva as a tireless proponent of Indigenous knowledge. According to Carling, Egereva’s advocacy was never an "attack" on the Russian state, but rather a constructive effort to present effective, traditional solutions to the global climate crisis.

Chronology of the Crackdown: From Advocacy to Incarceration

The timeline of Egereva’s transition from a diplomat to a prisoner illustrates the speed at which the Russian legal landscape has shifted.

2012: Russia introduces the "foreign agents" law, initially targeting NGOs receiving international funding. This legislation laid the groundwork for the future dismantling of Indigenous rights organizations.
2018: Johannes Rohr, a German researcher focused on the Indigenous Nenets of the Yamal Peninsula, is banned from Russia for 50 years after criticizing a massive liquified natural gas (LNG) project. This period saw politically motivated detentions quadruple compared to 2012.
2022: The Russian government shuts down the Aborigen Forum, labeling the informal network a threat to national security. In the same year, Egereva speaks at the U.N. in New York, warning that Indigenous peoples are being pushed off their lands by environmental degradation.
November 2023: Egereva attends COP30 in Belém, Brazil, advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous women in global climate policy.
December 17, 2023: Egereva and Natalya Leongardt are arrested. Leongardt, a former U.N. intern in Geneva, had been known for her work in Indigenous educational programs.
Early 2024: The Russian government designates more than 170 organizations as terrorist groups, including the Aborigen Forum.
March 2024: A Russian court extends the detention of Egereva and Leongardt until at least June 2024, pending trial.
April 2024: U.N. Special Rapporteurs issue a formal demand for their immediate release, citing a "blatant abuse of counterterrorism laws."

Data and the "Petrostate" Reality

The underlying tension between the Russian state and its Indigenous citizens is rooted in geography and economics. Russia has increasingly evolved into what political scientists call a "petrostate"—an economy heavily dependent on the extraction and export of oil and natural gas. There is a significant and unavoidable overlap between traditional Indigenous territories and the country’s primary sites of mineral and fossil fuel extraction.

Data from OVD-Info, an independent human rights project that monitors political persecutions in Russia, reveals a stark increase in state-led crackdowns. Politically motivated detentions in Russia rose from 46 in 2012 to 220 in 2018. By 2024, that number reached 449, reflecting a near-doubling of detentions in the last six years alone. This statistical trend mirrors the state’s hardening stance against any group perceived as a hurdle to industrial expansion.

The case of Sergei Kechimov, a shaman of the Khanty people, serves as a grim precursor to the current situation. Kechimov spent years battling the oil giant Surgutneftegaz over the protection of a sacred lake. He died following what U.N. officials described as "prolonged persecution" for his environmental work, highlighting the physical and psychological toll of standing against state-aligned industrial interests.

International Outcry and the Silencing of Dissent

The international community has not remained silent, though its influence over Moscow appears increasingly limited. Mariana Katzarova, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, released a report detailing how the Kremlin has used the war in Ukraine as a pretext to silence all domestic opposition. Her report emphasizes that environmental defenders and Indigenous advocates are among the most marginalized and targeted groups.

In a recent joint statement, Katzarova and other U.N. officials condemned the "deliberate strategy" of using anti-extremism frameworks to dismantle civil society. They argued that the prosecution of Egereva and Leongardt is an attempt to "criminalize peaceful expression and anti-war positions." The U.N. has called for the immediate cessation of proceedings against all human rights defenders in the country, though the Russian judiciary has shown no sign of compliance.

The Climate Paradox in the Russian North

One of the most profound implications of these arrests is the loss of critical data and advocacy regarding climate change in the Arctic. Russia’s northern territories are experiencing permafrost melt at a rate far exceeding the global average, threatening infrastructure such as pipelines, roads, and housing. However, the Russian government maintains a paradoxical stance: while it invests in permafrost monitoring for industrial protection, it simultaneously treats international climate collaboration as a "covert effort to weaken Russia."

By imprisoning advocates like Egereva, the Russian state effectively severs the link between local Indigenous observations and global scientific discourse. "Daria represents the Selkup people, a small-numbered community," says Aivana Enmykau, an Indigenous Nuvaqaghmiit advocate. "The loss of even one such voice has a serious impact on the ability of these communities to be heard."

Implications for Global Policy

The absence of Egereva from upcoming international forums—including the Bonn Climate Change Conference in June and COP31 in Turkey—creates a vacuum in Indigenous representation. Experts argue that without the participation of those living on the front lines of Arctic climate change, global policy decisions will lack the nuance and traditional ecological knowledge necessary for effective mitigation.

Furthermore, the "terrorist" designation of the Aborigen Forum serves as a warning to other activists within Russia. It signals that the era of "foreign agent" fines and administrative hurdles has transitioned into an era of long-term imprisonment. This shift discourages Russian activists from maintaining global networks of solidarity, effectively isolating them from the international human rights community.

Conclusion: The Personal Cost of Advocacy

As the legal proceedings against Daria Egereva and Natalya Leongardt continue, the personal stakes remain devastatingly high. Egereva, a mother of two, recently marked her 49th birthday inside a detention center. Her colleagues describe her as an "upbeat and motivating" leader whose primary goal was the preservation of her culture and the protection of the environment for future generations.

The transformation of climate advocacy into a capital offense represents a new and dangerous chapter in Russian domestic policy. As the international community prepares for another year of climate negotiations, the empty chair at the U.N. Permanent Forum serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by those who dare to bridge the gap between Indigenous rights and state power in an increasingly closed society. For Egereva and Leongardt, the cost of their commitment to the land may be two decades of their lives, a price that underscores the deepening fracture between the Russian state and the global standards of human rights and environmental protection.