1 of 1 Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with members of the Legislative Council of the Federal Assembly ahead of Russia’s Parliamentary Day April 28, 2023 in Saint Petersburg. — Photo: Alexey DANICHEV / SPUTNIK / AFP Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with members of the Legislative Council of the Federal Assembly ahead of the Russian Parliamentary Day in Saint Petersburg, April 28, 2023. — Photo: Alexey DANICHEV/SPUTNIK/AFP
In March, the International Criminal Court in The Hague (Netherlands) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
South Africa had previously had plans to host a meeting between the heads of state and government of the Brics countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Putin, as President of Russia, received an invitation to attend.
However, South Africa is a member of the International Criminal Court and would theoretically be obliged to comply with the Hague arrest warrant against Putin.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague is calling for Putin’s arrest
The South African government is currently considering changing its own laws to allow Putin to travel to the country without risking arrest, according to BBC UK.
Deputy Presidency Minister Obed Bapela told the BBC legislative changes were being considered and the intention was to bring the proposal to Parliament in July. This change would allow the South African government to make exceptions as to who gets arrested and who doesn’t.
It is not the first time that a representative of the South African government has expressed a desire to receive the Russian President. The secretarygeneral of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, Fikile Mbalula, has already stated in interviews that the party would like to include Putin as an integral part of the Brics states.
- Understand the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Putin
preparatory meeting
A meeting of the foreign ministers of the BRICS countries will take place in South Africa on Thursday (1st).
South Africa’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that those traveling to this month’s meeting and leaders attending the main summit in three months’ time would be granted diplomatic immunity, as is customary at such meetings.
But that immunity “does not overrule any warrant that an international court may have issued against a conference attendee,” State Department spokesman Clayson Monyela said (this was an indirect reference to Putin).
This means that the ICC’s arrest warrant would still apply if Putin were to visit in August, although South Africa is highly unlikely to arrest him.
Test for Putin
The Russian president has not traveled to a country that is a party to the International Criminal Court since his indictment in March on war crimes charges related to the kidnapping of children from Ukraine.