The operation started at 9 a.m. Moscow time but happened across all 11 of Russia’s time zones. Almost at the same moment, agents from the Federal Security Service (FSB) raided the homes and workplaces of 17 Indigenous rights activists. Officers carried out searches, took laptops and phones, and arrested and questioned the activists about their involvement in international forums. Most were released, and many have since left the country. Others still live in Russia but no longer speak out.
Six months later, one activist remains in jail. Daria Egereva, one of Russia’s leading Indigenous rights activists, is accused of being a member of a terrorist group. No trial date has been set. Her supporters say the charges are made up and that she was targeted for speaking out.
Egereva was no ordinary activist. She is a member of the Selkup Indigenous group from western Siberia and was seen as a “bright star” of Russia’s Indigenous rights movement. As a member of the UN’s Indigenous Peoples’ Coordinating Body, she had international standing. Just weeks before her arrest, she played a key role at COP30 in Brazil as co-chair of the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change.
Her imprisonment has drawn attention to the struggles of Russia’s Indigenous people, who are threatened by authoritarianism, resource extraction, and climate change.
“They are really seeing the worst effects of climate change,” said Alicia Moncada, director of global advocacy at Cultural Survival, a group that campaigns for Indigenous rights. “They are on the frontline of the frontline – that’s why [Egereva’s] advocacy was so important.”
The polar north is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth. In recent decades, temperatures in Arctic regions have risen three to four times faster than the global average. Communities that live on permafrost are watching their world fall apart around them.
“The elders are saying that nature has stopped trusting us,” said one exiled Indigenous leader, who asked not to be named. “The traditional ways of predicting nature don’t work anymore.”
Many settlements are located along riverbanks and lakeshores. As the permafrost melts, those banks are starting to crumble. “There is a real threat that many of those villages will be destroyed,” said the leader, who spoke through an interpreter. And the melting ice has created a new source of tension: newly accessible critical mineral resources.
“Most of the resources of the Russian Federation – gold, diamonds, oil, gas, coal – are located under Indigenous lands,” the leader said. “For some people, it’s a treasure, but for us, it’s a curse.”
“Because companies come to our land for those resources and push us out. Even if they don’t push us out, the environment in those places becomes so bad that we can’t hunt or fish.”
“One of the elders said we can adapt to anything, but we won’t survive without our land.”
A Nenets man rides a sledge in northern Arctic Russia. Photograph: Imago/Alamy
Although Indigenous groups kept their identities, by the end of the Soviet era they lacked independent organization and depended on the state. Egereva was part of a new generation of leaders who encouraged communities to empower themselves.
But this assertiveness brought them into conflict with the authorities. Even before the war in Ukraine, the Russian state claimed that its enemies were using environmental and Indigenous issues against it. Now, with the war serving as a reason to crack down on civil society, Indigenous people are among those hit hardest.
So far, 830 organizations and 20,813 individuals have been placed on the “list of terrorists and extremists,” according to the UN. Among them is Aborigen Forum, a network of Indigenous defenders that was labeled an “extremist organization” in July 2024.
Russian authorities have based their charges against Egereva and her co-defendant, Natalia Leon, on this designation.Gardt, a civil rights activist, spoke about their involvement with Aborigen. Authorities claim it is part of an anti-state group called the “post-Russia free nations forum.”
During a bail hearing on April 29, Egereva and Leongardt denied being part of any anti-state conspiracy. “I don’t know this organization and I’m not familiar with it,” Egereva told the court. “What we’re being accused of is completely false… I ask to be allowed to go home and hug my children.”
The court refused to grant them bail and ordered them to stay in custody until at least mid-June. The next day, Russia celebrated a new federal holiday: the “Day of Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples.”
The Russian embassy told the Guardian: “The investigation into Daria Egereva is an internal Russian legal matter, carried out in full compliance with Russian law. Since the proceedings are ongoing, we cannot comment on the specifics of the case.
“Russia firmly denies any claims of violating Indigenous people’s rights. Unlike some Western countries—including Britain in its former colonies—Russia has no history of forcing Indigenous communities to assimilate. Russian law gives Indigenous peoples special legal protections, ensuring their collective and individual rights, cultural identity, and language heritage under the constitution and in line with international standards.
“Russia is actively involved in the international climate agenda, taking into account both the challenges and economic opportunities in its northern regions—including better access to the northern sea route and mineral resources in permafrost areas. All these projects aim to support regional development, create jobs, and attract investment, including for the benefit of Indigenous communities in these areas.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the imprisonment of Daria Egereva and its connection to the struggles of Russias Indigenous peoples
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 Who is Daria Egereva
Daria Egereva is a Russian Indigenous rights activist and lawyer She is a member of the Nenets people an Indigenous group from the Arctic
2 Why was she imprisoned
She was sentenced to prison on charges of inciting hatred and participating in an extremist organization Her supporters say these charges are false and stem from her work defending the land rights of Indigenous communities
3 What does We will not survive mean in this context
It is a phrase that summarizes the belief of many Indigenous activists if they lose their land or are silenced their cultures and ways of life will not survive Daria Egereva used similar language to describe the threat to her people
4 What are the main struggles of Russias Indigenous people
The biggest struggles include losing traditional lands to mining and oil companies environmental damage from industrial projects forced assimilation into Russian culture and limited political power to protect their rights
5 Is this just a problem in one region
No While the Nenets people are in the Arctic similar struggles affect over 40 recognized Indigenous groups across Russia from Siberia to the Far East
Advanced Questions
6 What specific law was Daria Egereva charged under
She was charged under Russias extremism laws which are often used to prosecute activists journalists and political opponents The charges were linked to her social media posts about Indigenous rights
7 How does her case relate to industrial projects like oil drilling
Her activism focused on stopping or regulating oil and gas development on Nenets ancestral lands Critics argue her imprisonment is a way to silence opposition to powerful resource extraction companies
8 Are Russias Indigenous peoples legally recognized
Yes Russia has a special legal category called Indigenous smallnumbered peoples of the North Siberia and the Far East In theory this gives them some land and resource rights but in practice these rights are often ignored or overruled by economic interests
9 What can people outside Russia do to help
Common actions include raising awareness
