Concern about arrests of representatives of indigenous peoples in Russia – the case of Daria Egereva
9.2.2026
Question for written answer E-000529/2026
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 144
Merja Kyllönen (The Left)
The Sámi Parliament in Finland has brought to the attention of the European institutions the seriously worrying situation in Russia, where several representatives and leaders of indigenous peoples have been arrested and prosecuted under counter-terrorism measures. One of the detainees is Daria Egereva.
Ms Egereva is the Vice-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC). The IIPFCC acts as the official and global coordinating body for indigenous peoples in the UN climate negotiations. Ms Egereva’s trial is reportedly currently under way.
Daria Egereva represents indigenous people living in Russian territory. She has been involved in long-standing cooperation with the Sámi Parliament through the Centre for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North. Tuomas Aslak Juuso, the Vice-President of the Sámi Parliament, works with Ms Egereva within that support centre. Ms Egereva has played a key role in international cooperation involving indigenous peoples and represented Russian indigenous peoples in the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
This is not an isolated case, but a trend reported by international organisations. Representatives of indigenous peoples in Russia are facing increasing pressure, criminalisation and arbitrary prosecution, raising serious concerns about human rights, freedom of expression and indigenous peoples’ rights.
- 1.How does the VP/HR assess the compatibility of Russia’s arrests and prosecutions of indigenous peoples with international human rights obligations?
- 2.What steps will the EU take to defend the rights and security of indigenous peoples’ representatives, including those of Daria Egereva?
- 3.Is the VP/HR intending to raise this issue in the context of EU and international fora, in particular the UN, and to support opportunities for the representatives of indigenous peoples to participate safely in international climate and human rights processes?
Submitted: 9.2.2026