South African officials told Putin should attend summit virtually or be required to ARREST him

South African officials told it would be better for Putin to attend summit they are hosting virtually or be required to ARREST Russian leader on ICC war crimes warrant

  • The BRICS group comprises of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
  • The ICC issued an arrest for Putin last month for forcible deportation of children 

South African officials have been warned that Vladimir Putin should attend the BRICS summit they are hosting virtually or required to arrest the Russian President.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin last month, and South Africa as an ICC member would be required to detain Putin if he attends the 15th BRICS Summit that South Africa will host in August.

BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, a group seen as a powerful emerging-market alternative to the West.

In an interview at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where she was participating in a seminar, Ukrainian activist Oleksandra Romantsova told Reuters: ‘If Putin comes here… they (South Africa) need to arrest him.

‘It’s a complicated political situation. So better that Putin join via Zoom.’

South African officials have been warned that Vladimir Putin should attend the BRICS summit they are hosting virtually or required to arrest the Russian President. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin last month, and South Africa as an ICC member would be required to detain Putin if he attends the 15th BRICS Summit that South Africa will host in August (Putin pictured taking part via video link in June 2022)

In an interview at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where she was participating in a seminar, Ukrainian activist Oleksandra Romantsova told Reuters: 'If Putin comes here... they (South Africa) need to arrest him'

In an interview at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where she was participating in a seminar, Ukrainian activist Oleksandra Romantsova told Reuters: ‘If Putin comes here… they (South Africa) need to arrest him’

Romantsova, executive director of Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties which jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, formed part of a Ukrainian civil society delegation that aimed to share as much information as possible about the war still raging more than a year after Russia invaded.

Zane Dangor, director-general of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said officials in his department met with the Ukrainian delegation but declined to go into detail.

The ICC issued the warrant for Putin alleging Moscow’s forcible deportation of Ukrainian children was a war crime.

The Kremlin has reacted with outrage, saying any decisions of the court are ‘null and void’.

Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations its forces have committed atrocities during the invasion of Ukraine, what Russia calls ‘a special military operation’.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said this week that his government was still deliberating what to do about the warrant for Putin. Three officials with knowledge of those deliberations have told Reuters that Putin attending the BRICS summit virtually was an option that was being considered.

The ICC issued the warrant for Putin alleging Moscow's forcible deportation of Ukrainian children was a war crime. The Kremlin has reacted with outrage, saying any decisions of the court are 'null and void'

The ICC issued the warrant for Putin alleging Moscow’s forcible deportation of Ukrainian children was a war crime. The Kremlin has reacted with outrage, saying any decisions of the court are ‘null and void’

BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, a group seen as a powerful emerging-market alternative to the West. Activist Ms Romantsova added: 'It's a complicated political situation. So better that Putin join via Zoom'

BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, a group seen as a powerful emerging-market alternative to the West. Activist Ms Romantsova added: ‘It’s a complicated political situation. So better that Putin join via Zoom’

South Africa is one of Russia’s most important allies on a continent divided over the Ukraine war and Western attempts to isolate Moscow because of it.

South Africa held a joint naval exercise with Russia and China in February, a month after a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Ramaphosa talked about South Africa acting as a mediator in the conflict last year but it never gained much traction.

Romantsova said if South Africa wanted to mediate then it needed to have a strong connection with Ukraine, not just Russia. ‘You need to understand the situation in Ukraine, you have to need have a regular connection,’ she said

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