For Immediate Release 
February 9, 2026

Today, Indigenous Peoples from all over the globe released an open letter and petition to President Putin requesting the immediate release of Daria Egereva, a Selkup leader currently awaiting trial in a Russian jail. The letter highlights the important international work Egereva has done for decades and emphasizes, “Ms. Egereva’s activities were exclusively professional, non-violent, and institutional in nature, firmly grounded in dialogue and cooperation.” Signatures included a number of International Indigenous Caucuses, made up of Indigenous Peoples and organizations from the seven UN socio-cultural regions working in UN forums on climate change, heritage, plastics, mercury, environment, and sustainable development. Regional caucuses include Africa, Arctic, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America.

Daria Egereva was detained in Russia on 17th of December 2025, and accused of participating in a terrorist organization, after her participation at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP 30 in Belem (Brazil). Daria represents the Selkup Nation, one of the smallest Indigenous Peoples in Russia, with a total population of 3500. Egereva holds the role of Co-chair of The International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), is a former member of the Facilitation Working Group of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP), under the UNFCCC, and a long-standing participant in the international Indigenous Peoples movement. The accusation carries a potential prison sentence of 10 to 20 years. Ms.

Egereva is scheduled to appear in court on February 11th, 2026.

Another female Indigenous representative, whose name has not yet been released, was simultaneously arrested in connection with the same accusations, and at least 17 Indigenous Peoples across the country were subjected to searches and interrogations. These actions affected 10 regions, including Moscow, the Altai Republic, Tomsk, Murmansk, Krasnoyarsk, Taimyr, and Kemerovo Oblast.

The letter closed with an appeal to “a commitment to the principles of human dignity, proportionality, and peaceful, professional dialogue, as reflected in internationally recognized human rights standards.” The signatories to the letter await the outcomes of the February 11 hearing.

QUOTE SHEET:

Aimee Roberson (Choctaw and Chickasaw), Cultural Survival Executive Director:

"Ms. Egereva has dedicated her life to building bridges between Indigenous Peoples and international institutions through dialogue and cooperation. Her decades of peaceful advocacy work have strengthened understanding and advanced the rights of some of the world's most vulnerable communities. We respectfully call for her immediate release, recognizing that her contributions serve the greater good of all peoples and the protection of Mother Earth."

Valentina Sovkina, Saami activist, Member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues:

"Daria Egereva is a representative of indigenous peoples whose lives are inextricably linked to nature, its conservation, and responsible stewardship for the benefit of future generations. The protection of ancestral territories is a form of peaceful human rights activism aimed at dialogue, mutual understanding, and sustainable development. Daria's love for her native land and responsibility for its preservation have always been and remain a key priority for her work. We are convinced of her innocence and respectfully call for her immediate release."

Luda Kinok, representative of the Yupik Peoples:

“Indigenous women are the caretakers of the land and the custodians of knowledge passed down through generations. Across the world, when land is harmed by fossil fuel extraction and climate destruction, Indigenous women are among the first to rise in its defense. The punishment of peaceful women who protect their peoples, lands, and ways of life is unjust and must end. Daria Egereva acted in defense of her people by standing for the land, water, and life that sustain Indigenous communities. In solidarity with Indigenous defenders everywhere, we call for the immediate and unconditional release of Daria Egereva.”