Indigenous Climate Leader Daria Egereva Detained After UN COP30 Summit

Daria Egereva, a prominent Indigenous climate advocate, has been detained by Russian authorities just days after returning from the UN's COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil. The arrest has sparked concern among global Indigenous groups, who fear it may threaten their united participation in international climate discussions.

Egereva, a member of the Selkup people—one of Russia's smallest Indigenous groups with around 3,500 members—has long been a key figure in climate negotiations. She has served as co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples' Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) and attended COP28 in Dubai, COP29 in Baku, and most recently, COP30 in Belém. Beyond her role in the IIPFCC, she has also worked as a technical expert on climate issues under the UNFCCC and contributed to the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples' Platform (LCIPP).

Her detention follows years of high-level engagement, including work with the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). Indigenous organisations have now called for her immediate release, stressing that her involvement in these processes has always been professional and consultative.

The letter demanding her freedom highlights the need to maintain trust in international cooperation. It also urges authorities to respect human dignity and peaceful dialogue, given Egereva's long-standing contributions to climate policy.

The arrest raises questions about the safety of Indigenous representatives in global climate talks. Indigenous groups have warned that such actions could weaken their ability to engage in future negotiations. For now, calls for Egereva's release continue, with supporters emphasising her role as a bridge between local communities and international climate efforts.