MOSCOW (Russia): A court in Moscow has extended the pretrial detention of Indigenous climate activist Daria Egereva for an additional three months.
The Basmanny District Court gave a ruling on Thursday during a public hearing attended by diplomats from several embassies as well as members of Egereva’s family. The court granted a request by investigators to prolong her detention by about 92 days while the criminal investigation continues. She is facing charges of allegedly participating in the activities of a terrorist organization. Egereva has already spent more than 80 days in custody since her arrest in December 2025.
If convicted, Egereva, a member of the Selkup Indigenous people of Siberia, could face up to 20 years in prison under Russian law. faces the charges under Russia’s criminal laws related to alleged participation in the activities of a terrorist organization. Human rights observers say the charges stem from her alleged links to the Aborigen Forum, an informal network of Indigenous activists and experts from northern and Siberian regions that work on issues affecting Indigenous communities.
Egereva was arrested on 17th December 2025 after Russian authorities carried out coordinated raids and interrogations targeting several Indigenous rights advocates across different regions of the country. The operations involved activists representing a number of small Indigenous groups from northern and Siberian territories.
Prior to the March hearing, Egereva’s appeal against earlier detention orders had been rejected by Russian courts, allowing investigators to continue holding her in a Moscow pretrial detention facility pending trial. The court’s latest decision means Egereva will remain in custody for at least several more months while the investigation proceeds.
Born in 1977 in Kolpashevo in Russia’s Tomsk region, Egereva belongs to the Selkup people, one of the smallest Indigenous groups in Siberia, numbering only a few thousand individuals. She has spent years advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples and promoting their participation in international climate and human rights discussions.
Egereva serves as co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change, a body that represents Indigenous peoples within United Nations climate negotiations. In that role she has taken part in global climate conferences and helped coordinate Indigenous participation in international policy processes related to climate change and environmental protection.
Her work has focused on strengthening dialogue between governments and Indigenous communities and ensuring that Indigenous perspectives are included in global climate policy discussions. She has also participated in several United Nations platforms addressing Indigenous rights and environmental issues.
International human rights organizations have raised concerns about Egereva’s detention, arguing that the case reflects broader pressure on civil society and Indigenous advocates in Russia.
Supporters and Indigenous organizations have called for her release, describing the charges as unjustified.
A website and an online petition have been launched to support Daria Egereva as part of an international campaign to free her.
Tags: Daria Egereva, Russia Indigenous Activists, Indigenous Climate Activism, Human Rights Russia, Selkup, United Nations, Basmanny
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