On Saturday, 5 June 2026, President Vladimir Putin signed two treaties with the Republic of Nicaragua in Saint Petersburg. The first treaty deals with the transfer of individuals serving prison sentences, while the second establishes a framework for mutual extradition.
A prisoner‑transfer agreement allows a person convicted in one jurisdiction to serve the remainder of their sentence in another. The treaty includes a clause stating that the receiving nation cannot retry or impose additional punishment for the same conduct that led to the original conviction, a standard safeguard against double jeopardy.
The second treaty addresses extradition, the formal process by which one sovereign state hands over a suspect or convicted person to another for prosecution or to serve a sentence. It explicitly bars extradition if the request would jeopardize the sovereignty or security of the state being asked.
The State Duma, Russia’s lower house, will review the treaties as part of its legislative duties.
Following the signing, the treaties were submitted to the State Duma for ratification on 24 October 2026. The submission places the treaties on the Duma’s agenda for consideration.
The State Duma, Russia’s lower house, will review the treaties as part of its legislative duties. Its deliberations will determine whether the agreements are ratified.
Nicaragua is a Central American country. The treaties establish mechanisms for prisoner transfer and extradition between the two states.
If ratified, the agreements will provide a legal framework for transferring sentenced individuals between Russia and Nicaragua, allowing each country to house convicted persons from the other.
The Duma’s consideration will be closely observed as it decides the fate of the treaties. Should the Duma approve them, the next step will involve the formal exchange of ratification instruments, after which the treaties would enter force.
As of the latest dispatch on 24 October, the two Nicaragua treaties sit on the Duma’s agenda. Their outcome will determine whether Russia and Nicaragua will be linked by a legal bridge that moves prisoners across continents and sets the terms for future extradition requests.