Tajikistan lets Putin enter despite ICC arrest warrant
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tajikistan on Oct. 8, despite an active arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is binding on the country as a signatory to the Rome Statute.
The Tajik government has not publicly explained why it did not comply with the ICC warrant and arrest Putin on its territory.
Footage of Putin’s arrival at the airport was shared on the Kremlin’s official Telegram channel, showing him disembarking and greeting Tajik President Emomali Rahmon with a hug and handshake.
Putin is scheduled to stay in Tajikistan for three days. During his visit, he will participate in the Russia–Central Asia summit and a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Putin will also hold bilateral talks with Rahmon and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, according to Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti.
The ICC issued the warrant for Putin in March 2023 over Moscow's illegal deportation of civilians, including children, from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
Ahead of Putin's visit, Human Rights Watch urged Tajik authorities to either ban Putin from entering the country or arrest him upon arrival.
Tajikistan ratified the Rome Statute in 1999 and is therefore obligated to adhere to ICC decisions.
This is not the first time Putin has traveled to a Rome Statute signatory state without arrest. In September 2023, he visited Mongolia under similar circumstances. At the time, the Mongolian government said the country could not detain Putin due to its dependence on Russian energy imports.
Following the visit, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber found that Mongolia had failed to comply with its obligations to arrest and extradite Putin and referred the matter to the Assembly of States Parties.
Asami Terajima
