Russian agents raided home of Sámi politician before her flight to Norway

Russian authorities conducted a four-hour search of the home of Valentina Sovkina, a prominent Kildin Sámi activist and politician, last December before she fled to Norway, the Finnish broadcaster Yle reports.

Agents from the Murmansk court arrived unannounced at Sovkina’s residence in Lovozero, demanding access to her phones and personal documents. They seized two mobile phones, her son’s device, and an old computer—but failed to locate her work laptop, which she had used during UN Indigenous forums in New York. The agents had identified the computer from a photo she had shared on social media.

Sovkina, who was not provided copies of the search warrant or confiscation records, was denied the right to contact a lawyer during the raid. Two days later, she left for Norway, where her spouse resides.

“They had been interested in me for a long time because I speak out for human rights and Indigenous rights,” Sovkina told Yle. “It was clear this was an attempt at intimidation.”

A longtime Sámi rights advocate, Sovkina has faced repression since childhood. At age seven, boarding school teachers threatened her grandmother for speaking Kildin Sámi, an experience that fueled her later activism. She co-founded the Kola Sámi Association in 1989 and has been a repeated target of state pressure, particularly after Sámi groups pushed for an elected representative body in 2008.

Though now based in Norway, Sovkina continues her work, including participation in the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues last month. She describes the platform as vital for raising global awareness of Sámi rights, language preservation, and cultural heritage—issues she says Russia dismisses as mere “exotic” performances.

“The situation for Sámi in Russia breaks my heart,” she said. “I was born and raised there. I see the struggles, the pressure, the collectivization under the Soviets—and now under Putin’s laws, our traditional way of life is being strangled.”

Sovkina declined to name specific community members in interviews, citing safety concerns. She remains determined to advocate for her people, despite the risks.