Fugitive Status: Z-Library Founders Escape House Arrest, Now Subject to International Arrest Warrants

Z-Library, a website known for freely sharing books and papers from around the world, has faced multiple crackdowns by U.S. judicial authorities due to copyright issues, including the seizure and banning of several official domain names.

In November 2022, the site's founders, Anton Napolsky and Valeriia Ermakova (both Russian nationals and a couple), were arrested in Cordoba, Argentina, at the request of the United States during their vacation. The U.S. accused them of operating the online piracy site Z-Library, copyright infringement, wire fraud, and money laundering, with the latter two charges arising from Z-Library's routine acceptance of donations and subscriptions.

In January 2023, Argentine judge approved house arrest for the pair while rejecting their extradition to the U.S. Argentina cited its policy against automatically executing extraterritorial decisions and requests from third countries, hence not approving the U.S. extradition request.

The latest update is that as of May 2024, the two have escaped from their house arrest. Their current whereabouts are uncertain, though Argentine authorities believe they are still within the country and have not left. judge has issued international arrest warrants for them.

For Anton Napolsky and Valeriia Ermakova, their current situation is extremely distressing. Escaping house arrest means they are constantly at risk of being pursued by law enforcement, while staying would have meant lingering in Argentina under the constant threat of potential extradition to the U.S.

Regardless of the situation, the prospect of the U.S. dropping charges seems implausible. Now fugitives, they may have to live in hiding under assumed identities, always with the risk of exposure.

Despite the arrest of its founders, the remaining team at Z-Library continues to operate the electronic library. Despite the ban on several domains, the library's access remains relatively stable, continuing to serve its users.