South Africa Warns Arresting Putin Tantamount to 'Declaration of War'
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said that any attempt to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin when he visits the country next month would be a declaration of war with Russia.
In a court filing released on Tuesday, Ramaphosa stated, "Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting president would be a declaration of war. It would be inconsistent with our constitution to risk engaging in war with Russia." He further emphasized that such an action would be a failure to fulfill his duty to protect South Africa, according to RT.
The Russian leader is expected to attend at the upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg next month.
South Africa, as an ICC member, is obligated to comply with the court's orders, including the March ruling to arrest Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. However, the country is also hosting this year's BRICS summit and has sought to maintain positive relations with Russia.
Despite pressure from the United States to condemn Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine, Ramaphosa has chosen to remain neutral on the issue, suggesting that NATO's eastward expansion contributed to triggering the crisis.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa's leading opposition party, demanded that the government arrest Putin and hand him over to the ICC if he sets foot in the country. Ramaphosa's affidavit was submitted in response to the legal challenge initiated by the DA, which sought to compel the president to take action.
Seeking an exemption from its obligation under the ICC warrant, Pretoria argues that arresting Putin could jeopardize the "security, peace, and order of the state," as stated by Ramaphosa. The president's deputy, Paul Mashatile, has reportedly requested that the Russian president refrain from attending the summit.
Regarding Putin's attendance, the Kremlin announced on Friday that the Russian leader had not yet decided whether he would participate in person or remotely. Other heads of state from BRICS member countries, including China, Brazil, and India, are expected to attend.
The ICC accused Putin and the Russian commissioner for children's rights of "forcible transfer of the population" in relation to the evacuation of minors from the combat zone in Ukraine. Russia, however, is not a party to the Rome Statute, which established the court, and the Kremlin has asserted that the ICC holds no authority over them.