South Africa: Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, has warned that any attempt to arrest Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin when he visits the country next month would be a declaration of war with Russia. Mr. Ramaphosa remarked in court papers that “Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting President would be a declaration of war.”
Mr. Putin has been invited to a BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August. But the Russian President is also the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
The leading opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is trying to force the government’s hand and ensure the Kremlin leader is held as well as handed over to the ICC if he steps foot in the country.
Mr. Ramaphosa called the DA’s application as “irresponsible” and said national security was at stake. According to the President, South Africa is seeking an exemption under ICC rules based on the fact that enacting the arrest could threaten the “security, peace, and order of the state.”
“It would be inconsistent with our constitution to risk engaging in war with Russia,” Mr. Ramaphosa stated, adding that this would go against the President’s duty to protect the country.
The arrest would also undermine a South African-led mission to end the war in Ukraine and “foreclose any peaceful solution,” Mr. Ramaphosa further noted.
According to the ICC treaty, when a member country encounters issues that could impede the execution of a request, it is required to seek the court’s consultation. Additionally, the court cannot pursue an arrest if it would force a nation to violate international diplomatic immunity regulations.
South Africa is the current chair of the BRICS group, a gathering of economic heavyweights that also includes Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
RELATED | International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Putin for war crimes
