Human Rights Watch (HRW), an NGO devoted to documenting human rights abuses around the world, released a statement on Wednesday calling for Tajikistan to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin – who is set to arrive in the Central Asian country on Thursday.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) – of which Tajikistan is a member – issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023 for his involvement in the forced deportation of over 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russian forces.
As such, Dushanbe has a legal obligation to arrest Putin and surrender him to the authority of the court should he enter their territory.
However, the Kremlin announced this week that Putin will make a state visit to Dushanbe, where he will be hosted by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and attend a multilateral summit with Central Asian leaders.
As per a press release, HRW International Justice Director Liz Evenson said that Putin should be in the Hague to face the charges against him rather than attending summits hosted by an ICC member country.
“If it welcomes Putin, Tajikistan will be showing utter disregard for the suffering of victims of Russian forces’ crimes in Ukraine and for its own obligations as an ICC member,” she added.
If Putin’s visit goes ahead as planned, Tajikistan will become the second ICC member state to defy its obligations to the court. In September 2024, Putin’s state visit to Mongolia went off without a hitch – though under a cloud of international disapproval.
Also on Wednesday, the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) published a statement calling for Tajikistan to cancel Putin’s visit.
“The Coalition respectfully urges the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan to reaffirm its commitment to justice and the rule of law by revoking the invitation extended to President Putin,” the statement reads.
“Should Putin nevertheless travel to Tajikistan this week, Tajik authorities must proceed with his immediate arrest and surrender to the ICC, in accordance with Tajikistan’s international obligations.”