Russia Turns Indigenous Rights Advocacy into “Terrorism”

A new analysis published by the German investigative journalism organization CORRECTIV describes the systematic transformation of Indigenous rights activism in Russia from legitimate civic engagement into an activity treated as a threat to state security.

The analysis, titled “Terrorizing the Indigenous: Russian Repression Against Its Own Nations,” traces how the Russian government has gradually weakened the ability of Indigenous communities to defend their traditional lands, preserve their languages and organize independently.

According to CORRECTIV, Russia officially recognizes only 47 groups as “Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples,” a legal category limited to communities with populations below 50,000. Larger Indigenous nations, including the Yakuts, Buryats and Tuvans are excluded from this status, despite meeting broader international understandings of Indigenous identity.

Many of these communities inhabit territories containing some of Russia’s most valuable natural resources. CORRECTIV reports that approximately 85 percent of the country’s natural gas is produced on lands traditionally inhabited by Indigenous peoples, alongside substantial oil and mineral extraction. This has placed Indigenous land rights in direct conflict with state and corporate economic interests.

From Consent to Notification

During the 1990s, Indigenous communities gained greater freedom to establish representative bodies, develop culturally appropriate education and participate in decisions concerning their traditional territories. The Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, known as RAIPON, was established in 1993 and brought together representatives of approximately 40 Indigenous nations.

This period of relative freedom began to disappear as political authority became increasingly centralized under Vladimir Putin.

CORRECTIV states that legal protections allowing Indigenous communities to influence industrial projects on their lands were gradually weakened. The principle of obtaining community consent was effectively replaced by notification: communities could be told that a project would take place, but were no longer able to prevent it.

The Russian authorities also began using legislation on “foreign agents” and “undesirable organizations” against civil society. Indigenous leaders who cooperated with the United Nations and international environmental or human rights organizations were increasingly portrayed as agents of foreign influence.

In 2012, the Russian Ministry of Justice ordered the dissolution of RAIPON. According to the analysis, it was subsequently replaced by an organization controlled by representatives loyal to the government.

Independent activists responded by establishing the Aborigen Forum and continuing their cooperation with international institutions. Russian security agencies later obstructed Indigenous representatives attempting to attend the 2014 UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in New York. Activists reportedly had passports confiscated or damaged and were prevented from reaching airports.

From Activists to Alleged Terrorists

The repression intensified following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

International partners of Indigenous organizations, including Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature, were declared “undesirable” in Russia. Independent Indigenous activists consequently became increasingly isolated from international support.

In 2024, the Aborigen Forum and numerous other Indigenous organizations were included within Russia’s broadly defined “Anti-Russian Separatist Movement” and designated as extremist. The authorities later added organizations associated with this alleged movement to the country’s list of terrorist entities.

This classification created the legal basis for peaceful activities including environmental advocacy, language preservation, international participation and the defence of traditional territories, to be prosecuted under Russia’s terrorism legislation.

On December 17, 2025, security forces conducted coordinated raids against 17 Indigenous activists across Russia’s multiple time zones. According to CORRECTIV, officers searched their homes for hours, interrogated them, confiscated computers, telephones and documents, and warned that they could return.

Indigenous activist Daria Egereva, a member of the Selkup people, and human rights defender Natalia Leongardt were arrested. Both remained in pretrial detention when the analysis was published and reportedly faced possible sentences of up to 20 years for alleged participation in a terrorist organization.

The accusations connect the activists to the Forum of Free Nations of Post-Russia, which Moscow has designated as a terrorist organization. Russian case files reportedly present 172 different organizations as affiliated with this structure.

Lawyers for the activists argue that the list includes organizations with no connection to the forum, groups that have never operated inside Russia, apparently nonexistent organizations and even internet memes. They believe that the deliberately broad and confusing classification enables investigators to add new organizations and individuals whenever authorities wish to expand the prosecution.

State-Controlled Representation

The analysis also identifies a significant contradiction in Russia’s treatment of its Indigenous nations.

While independent representatives are imprisoned, forced into exile or silenced, Russian authorities continue to organize international events intended to portray the country as respectful of ethnic and cultural diversity. CORRECTIV reports that the planned International Week of the Nations of Russia promoted as evidence of openness toward Indigenous peoples is being curated by Russia’s Federal Security Service.

This reflects a wider pattern in which independent Indigenous representation is dismantled and replaced by institutions operating under state control. Cultural activities may be permitted when they remain politically harmless, while independent demands concerning land, language, natural resources, representation and collective rights are treated as security threats.

Although the CORRECTIV analysis primarily examines the Indigenous peoples of Siberia, the Russian North and the Far East, the mechanisms it documents have wider relevance for other non-Russian nations, including the Indigenous peoples of the North Caucasus.

The replacement of independent organizations with state-loyal bodies, the obstruction of international engagement and the use of extremism legislation against peaceful national advocacy all indicate that the repression of Indigenous peoples is not a collection of isolated incidents. It is part of a broader system designed to place Indigenous identity and representation under Moscow’s control.

Source: CORRECTIV: Terrorizing the Indigenous: Russian Repression Against Its Own Nations

Editorial note: The accompanying image is AI-generated and is used for illustrative purposes.