Tajikistan has begun the process of leaving the International Criminal Court, citing what it calls growing politicisation and bias in the court’s work.
The move comes after more than two decades of Tajikistan’s participation in the ICC and follows a dispute over the country’s failure to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit last year.
The lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament, known as the Majlisi Namoyandagon, has approved a resolution to begin the withdrawal process. The Foreign Ministry has linked the decision to what it describes as growing politicisation and bias at the court.
Tajik authorities have not provided a more detailed public explanation of the legal and political considerations behind the decision.
The move follows a dispute that began after Putin travelled to Tajikistan in October 2025 for a state visit. He met President Emomali Rahmon and took part in meetings of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Central Asia-Russia format.
At the time, Putin was already subject to an arrest warrant issued by the ICC in March 2023 over alleged war crimes linked to the deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Tajikistan was a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and was expected to cooperate with the court. However, Putin was officially received in Dushanbe and left the country without being arrested.
The ICC subsequently asked Tajikistan to explain its decision. On 5 November 2025, the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber requested further submissions from Dushanbe over its failure to arrest and surrender Putin.
Tajik authorities referred to Russia’s status as a non-party to the Rome Statute and to bilateral agreements with Moscow that, according to Dushanbe, provide immunity for senior officials. The Tajik government also said it did not consider its position a refusal to cooperate with the ICC.
The dispute continued into 2026. On 19 March, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II found that Tajikistan had failed to comply with its obligations under the Rome Statute by not executing the court’s request to arrest and surrender Putin while he was in the country. The matter was subsequently referred to the Assembly of States Parties.
Tajikistan has been part of the ICC system for more than two decades. It signed the Rome Statute in 1998 and ratified it on 5 May 2000, with the statute entering into force for the country on 1 July 2002. The ICC is a permanent international court dealing with genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
Tajikistan is the only Central Asian country to have ratified the Rome Statute. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have signed the treaty but have not ratified it, while Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have not signed it.
Kyrgyzstan has unveiled plans to significantly expand its protected natural areas, bringing more high-altitude glaciers, mountain landscapes and st...
U.S. President Donald Trump said early Wednesday that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky...
At least 35 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, in the second deadly rail disaster in less tha...
Despite losing his bloc's majority in Israel's 120-seat Knesset in a hotly contested election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has managed to remain in the lead after 70 per cent of votes were tallied on Wednesday. Figures are subject to change as counting continues.
Russia and Ukraine have begun a regional ceasefire to allow the start of a humanitarian effort in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, both sides said on Tuesday, but they continue strikes elsewhere, including the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Nearly two years after the 20 October 2024 parliamentary elections, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region remains without a cabinet. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won 39 of 100 seats and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) 23, leaving neither able to govern alone.
Russian strikes hit several parts of Ukraine overnight, injuring at least six people and targeting energy and port infrastructure, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. warnings about imminent Russian ballistic missile attacks had resumed.
The Pentagon is prepared to launch potentially major military operations against Iran within 96 hours of receiving an order from U.S. President Donald Trump, with sufficient forces already deployed in the Middle East, according to a CNN report.
Kyrgyzstan has unveiled plans to significantly expand its protected natural areas, bringing more high-altitude glaciers, mountain landscapes and state-owned forests under environmental protection as part of a draft strategy for 2026–2035.
Uzbekistan has launched Apple Pay and Google Pay, allowing customers at several local banks to make contactless payments using their smartphones and other compatible devices.
Iran says a “new and positive atmosphere” has emerged following rare security talks in Tehran with senior officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, as regional tensions continue to escalate.
The first day of the seventh World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue wrapped up in Baku on Tuesday (27 October), with President Ilham Aliyev highlighting Azerbaijan’s role in promoting peace and multiculturalism as global leaders explored the impact of AI and cultural cooperation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dismissed European criticism of a maritime agreement between Türkiye and Libya, arguing that objections to the deal have no legal basis.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment