Sergei Nikiforov, an Evenki indigenous people’s leader and environmental rights defender, has been imprisoned allegedly for opposing UK-based Petropavlovsk gold mining project in the Amur region of Russia.

In December 2015 we invited Petropavlovsk PLC to respond, but it did not. In April 2016 we invited firm's reported shareholders to respond. Prudential plc & UBS Switzerland AG responded. Sothic Capital European Opportunities Master Fund Limited, Cape View Capital LLP, and D.E. Shaw & Co did not respond. 

On 26 May 2016 the office of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mr. Michel Forst, and other UN mandate holders sent a letter to the Russian Government asking it to investigate and address the alleged abuses against Sergey Nikiforov and to inform him of the resulting actions. We again invited Petropavlovsk PLC and its reported shareholders to respond. Petropavlovsk PLC did not respond. UBS Switzerland AG responded. Prudential plc, Sothic Capital European Opportunities Master Fund Limited, Cape View Capital LLP, and D.E. Shaw & Co did not respond.

However, Petropavlovsk sent a response about these allegations in May 2017, available below. Materials with full information and the companies' responses & non-responses are below.