On Jan. 22, posts on the social media platform X alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to extradite Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to the U.S. president from 2021 to 2022, to Russia as part of a deal to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The posts provided no evidence to support the claim.
(X user @CilComLFC)
The posts alleged that Putin wanted to extradite Fauci, who played a large role the United States' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for "Crimes Against Humanity." The claim was also spread by The People's Voice, a misinformation outlet run by Sean Adl-Tabatabai, who previously ran the misinformation websites Your News Wire and NewsPunch.
The claim was false, however. If Putin had made such a request, reliable news sources in either Russia or the United States would have reported on it. That had not happened. If Russia wanted to extradite Fauci, it would likely have to file a Red Flag Notice with Interpol. That, too, had not happened.
Even if the claim came from a reliable source of information, there's a major hurdle standing in the way: The United States and Russia do not have an extradition treaty with each other. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. does not generally extradite without a treaty.