Russian Z-Library Admins Escape House Arrest in Argentina
According to media reports, two Russian nationals arrested in Argentina in 2022 at the request of the United States and believed to be administrators of the shadow library Z-Library have escaped from house arrest. Anton Napolsky and Valeria Ermakova were facing extradition to the U.S., which had already been approved by a judge. After submitting a petition to the country’s Supreme Court requesting political asylum, the pair disappeared without a trace.
Background: Arrest and Legal Proceedings
As previously reported, in November 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI began seizing Z-Library domains as part of a large-scale operation to shut down the library. During the investigation, it was determined that the alleged operators of the site were Russian citizens Anton Napolsky and Valeria Ermakova.
The two were arrested in Argentina at the request of U.S. authorities and charged with intellectual property violations, as Z-Library is considered one of the largest repositories of pirated books, scientific articles, and academic texts online. Napolsky and Ermakova denied all charges, claiming they were simply vacationing in Argentina and sightseeing in a rented car.
Facing charges in the U.S. for copyright infringement, fraud, and money laundering, their main priority became fighting extradition. They hired a lawyer and continued to deny all accusations. In the presence of Russian embassy diplomats, Napolsky’s lawyer argued that the extradition request was invalid because it did not specify which copyrighted works were allegedly infringed.
In January 2023, a judge allowed the Russians to be placed under house arrest, even though the prosecutor responsible for the extradition request had not given consent.
Judicial Delays and Judge Replacement
According to Torrent Freak, the case took several interesting turns. Under pressure from the defense, Judge Sergio Pinto agreed to request additional information from U.S. authorities to address doubts about the evidence. The defense also questioned Judge Pinto’s impartiality, especially after he granted the U.S. a 30-day extension to correct deficiencies in the extradition request.
As reported by local news outlet La Voz, the defense accused Judge Pinto of bias and demanded his removal. Judge Abel Sánchez Torres sided with the defendants, and Pinto was indeed replaced. At the second extradition hearing, presided over by Judge Sánchez Freytes, it was ruled that extradition to the U.S. was justified based on the charges of copyright infringement, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Escape and International Arrest Warrant
While under house arrest in Córdoba, Napolsky and Ermakova petitioned the Supreme Court for political asylum, which, if granted, would have prevented their extradition. However, shortly after the extradition request was approved, staff from Patronato del Liberado (the agency responsible for assisting and monitoring individuals under probation or house arrest) discovered that Napolsky and Ermakova had vanished.
According to unnamed sources cited by La Voz, their disappearance was noticed as early as May 2024 during a routine visit by Patronato del Liberado. Later, during another extradition hearing, the couple’s lawyer admitted he was also unable to contact his clients. Judge Freytes subsequently issued an international arrest warrant, but two months have passed with no news of their recapture. Journalists at Torrent Freak believe the Russians have already left Argentina and could be anywhere.
Support from the Z-Library Community
Throughout this period, the Z-Library team has defended Napolsky and Ermakova, insisting on their innocence. In a petition on Change.org, Z-Library representatives stated that the Russians were “project participants ensuring the platform’s operation” but “were not involved in uploading files” that U.S. authorities considered copyright violations. The arrest was described as “unjust and unacceptable.”
The Z-Library team also claimed that the arrests were made without proper legal procedures and with numerous procedural violations, noting that the FBI’s extradition request contained false information about the existence of a judicial warrant, which was actually issued after the arrests, not before.
The petition, addressed to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Argentine authorities, called for the restoration of access to the confiscated Z-Library domains. As of now, the petition has gathered 146,000 signatures, and Z-Library supporters continue to defend the library as a resource providing critical access to knowledge and educational materials for those without financial means.