Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tajikistan on Wednesday, October 8, after not having visited the country since 2022. Although Tajikistan is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and should have, according to international obligations, arrested the Kremlin leader, the authorities in Dushanbe gave him a lavish welcome.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) organization had previously asked the Tajikistan government to either ban Putin from entering the country or to detain him upon arrival, reminding them of the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, reports Radio Liberty.
“Putin should be tried in The Hague, not welcomed at international summits hosted by member states of the International Criminal Court,” said Liz Evenson, director of the international justice department at HRW.
However, the calls of human rights activists were ignored. Putin was greeted at the airport by the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, and the streets of the capital Dushanbe were decorated in the colors of the Russian flag.
On the main buildings, huge screens were set up with photos of the two leaders, and the local press reported that an impressive fruit corner had been prepared as a sign of hospitality.
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