Tajikistan Considers Withdrawal from International Criminal Court Following Putin Visit

Tajikistan's lower house of parliament is reviewing a proposal to terminate its membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC), moving to insulate itself from the legal obligations of the Rome Statute. The move follows a diplomatic clash between Dushanbe and the Hague. The ICC previously criticized Tajikistan for failing to execute an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the capital in October last year. The court noted that by ignoring the warrant, Tajikistan breached its international treaty obligations. On September 16, the Majlisi Namoyandagon (the lower house) discussed a draft resolution titled "On the termination of the application of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court." While the council's review is a preliminary step, such proposals in the Tajik parliament typically move toward final adoption with little resistance.