Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament, Majlisi Namoyandagon, has voted to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Lawyer Dilrabo Samadova told Asia-Plus that the decision does not mean the country’s immediate withdrawal, but could weaken an important mechanism for holding those responsible for the gravest international crimes to account.
On October 1, the Majlisi Namoyandagon approved the decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute. The official transcript of the parliamentary session was published by Sadoi Mardum.
Deputy Foreign Minister Idibek Qalandar told lawmakers that the ICC’s activities had become increasingly politicized and that the court was turning into an “instrument of political pressure” in disputes between states.
“Recent assessments of the International Criminal Court’s activities indicate that this international institution is systematically departing from recognized international standards and the key principles of judicial impartiality,” he said.
Rustam Shohmurod, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Legislation and Human Rights, said the draft decision had been submitted for parliamentary approval by the president. He also noted that not all states had joined the Rome Statute and that sovereign countries had the right to withdraw.
The lawmakers approved the decision without discussion or debate.
When will the withdrawal take effect?
Lawyer Dilrabo Samadova told Asia-Plus that the parliamentary vote does not constitute an immediate withdrawal from the ICC.
“From a legal standpoint, the adoption of the decision by the Majlisi Namoyandagon does not mean Tajikistan’s immediate withdrawal. Under Article 127 of the Rome Statute, withdrawal generally takes effect one year after the Secretary-General of the United Nations receives official notification,” she said.
The statute also stipulates that withdrawal does not release a country from obligations incurred while it was a member, including cooperation with the court in investigations and proceedings that began before the withdrawal took effect.
According to the parliamentary transcript, Tajikistan signed the Rome Statute on November 30, 1998, and ratified it on December 11, 1999. The transcript does not specify when the official notification of withdrawal will be sent to the United Nations.
What could Tajikistan gain — and what could it lose?
Samadova said the government may be seeking to free itself from future obligations to the ICC, including those relating to cooperation with the court and enforcement of its decisions.
However, she believes the main consequences concern the international system for combating impunity.
“First and foremost, an important international mechanism for combating impunity for the most serious crimes — genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes — is lost,” she said.
Once the withdrawal takes effect, the court’s jurisdiction over new crimes committed on Tajikistan’s territory would be limited, although other legal grounds for ICC jurisdiction could remain, the lawyer explained.
Samadova also warned that the decision could affect Tajikistan’s international standing and confidence in its commitment to combating impunity.
“In my view, this decision, from the standpoint of human rights protection, is an alarming step and a retreat from international obligations,” she said.
“Tajikistan was one of the first countries in the region to ratify the Rome Statute. Now, after more than 25 years of participation, it is withdrawing from this international justice system.”
What if an armed conflict breaks out?
Samadova said the decision could also have implications for Tajikistan’s own security and the protection of civilians in a potential future conflict.
“If an armed conflict were to break out in the future between Tajikistan and one of its neighboring states, and war crimes were committed in the course of it — including the killing of civilians, torture or attacks on civilian objects — withdrawal from the Rome Statute could limit the prospects for achieving international justice,” she said.
The lawyer stressed that withdrawal would not eliminate all avenues for international justice, but could make access to the ICC mechanism more limited.
“The question of membership in the International Criminal Court is therefore not solely a matter of foreign policy. It is also connected to the protection of civilians, the fight against impunity and victims’ access to justice for the most serious crimes,” she said.
During the parliamentary session, Qalandar cited several countries that had withdrawn from the Rome Statute or taken steps to do so. Burundi withdrew in 2017, while the Philippines’ withdrawal took effect in 2019. Hungary also notified the United Nations of its intention to withdraw in 2025, although it subsequently revoked that notification in May 2026
Qalandar said Hungary’s move had followed the ICC’s November 2024 arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Is the decision linked to Putin’s visit to Dushanbe?
Tajikistan’s planned withdrawal has prompted speculation about a possible connection with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Dushanbe in October 2025.
Although Putin’s name was not mentioned during the parliamentary session, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty linked the decision to the ICC’s request that Tajikistan arrest him during his visit.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023 over alleged war crimes involving the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied Ukrainian territories.
Before Putin’s visit to Tajikistan, the government sent the ICC an official response explaining its position. Among other arguments, the authorities cited a bilateral agreement on judicial cooperation with Russia, under which senior officials of both countries enjoy immunity, and said Tajikistan could not detain them without Russia’s consent.
The government also argued that Russia was not a party to the Rome Statute and that Putin’s immunity as a head of state was protected.
In March 2026, however, the ICC’s 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 during his visit. In May, the ICC presidency referred the non-compliance finding to the Assembly of States Parties.
Tajikistan’s parliament has now voted to withdraw from the treaty, but the legal consequences will depend on the completion of the formal withdrawal process.
The ICC, based in The Hague, investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression when the relevant jurisdictional conditions are met.