Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced plans to seek an international arrest warrant for a Russian national accused of non-consensually recording and disseminating intimate images of Ghanaian women on social media.

At a press conference on February 18, 2026, Sam George stated that his ministry is preparing, through the Cyber Security Authority, to present a docket to the Police Service and the Attorney-General for prosecution in absentia in “our courts.”

“…and the CID is working with us to escalate this to Interpol to issue an international arrest warrant for the gentleman. And so we're leaving no stone unturned,” the Minister told journalists.

The move follows discussions between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and the Russian Ambassador to Ghana, Sergei Berdnikov, where the latter confirmed that Russian authorities have received reports of similar activities in other countries by an alleged Russian national believed to be a content creator.

Honourable Ablakwa indicated in a statement that the Russian Ambassador acknowledged “the violation of the privacy and dignity of the victims” and recognised the broader cybercrime implications of the incident.

However, Russia will not hand over its citizens to face prosecution elsewhere, regardless of existing international agreements, as Russian Constitution takes precedence over any extradition treaty.

Sam George, however, assured that the government will continue to explore diplomatic and legal channels and pursue the matter to its logical legal conclusion, despite Russia’s constitutional position.

Honourable Ablakwa has also assured Ghanaians that the Ministry would deploy all available international legal mechanisms to ensure accountability while maintaining diplomatic relations between both countries.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to assure the general public of its commitment to leverage the cordial bilateral relations between Ghana and Russia to explore all international tools and remedies to ensure that justice is secured,” he said in a statement.

Samuel Nartey George has made public the passport information of the Russian national explaining that the decision is aimed at confirming the suspect’s identity and safeguarding women who have been wrongly portrayed.

Speaking on February 18, 2026, Sam George indicated that officials have secured the individual’s Russian passport.

“We have his passport, which we will be sharing with the media, his Russian passport,” he said.

“His first name is Vladislav and his last name is Liulkov. The passport with which he entered the country will be shared with the media so that his identity is made known,” he added.

Information contained in the travel document lists the man as Vladislav Aleksandrovich Liulkov, a citizen of the Russian Federation born on September 19, 1989. The passport further affirms his Russian nationality.

Sam George emphasised that preliminary findings suggest that a number of women whose photos were circulated online had no intimate involvement with the suspect.

“Let us be clear, not all the women he has publicised were engaged in an intimate encounter with him,” he stated.

The Ningo-Prampram MP noted that assessments conducted by cybersecurity personnel reveal that some interactions were limited, occurring briefly in public places without any indication of sexual conduct.

“Some of the cases that have come to us show that he barely met the women at malls, greeted them, and briefly engaged them,” Sam George explained.

“Cybersecurity checks indicate that in some instances there is no video of him with those ladies beyond the mall encounters,” he added.

Nonetheless, he alleged that the man presented the women online in a manner suggesting they had been involved in intimate relations with him.

“However, he splashed their images as though he had intimate encounters with all of these ladies. That is wrong, and such a person must be brought to face the full rigours of the law,” he said.

The legislator also urged the public to exercise understanding and sensitivity toward the affected women, highlighting the emotional toll the situation has taken on some of them.

“That is why we are calling for empathy for these ladies. There are people who are genuinely innocent and have not had any intimacy with the said gentleman. But because he portrayed all of them as victims, it has been traumatising for many of them,” he added.

He indicated that the repercussions have been significant for certain individuals caught up in the matter.

The investigation is being pursued by the Ghana Police Service, with support from cybersecurity specialists, as authorities seek to determine the full extent of the alleged actions and ensure appropriate legal action is taken.