Putin won’t attend Johannesburg summit due to ICC arrest warrant.
Russian President Vladimir Putin to Skip BRICS Summit in South Africa
Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided not to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The decision comes as a result of the International Criminal Court’s warrant for his arrest in connection with the war in Ukraine.
The BRICS summit, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, will proceed without Putin’s presence. Instead, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent the country at the event.
This announcement puts an end to months of speculation, as South Africa, a signatory of the Rome Statute that established the ICC, would have been obligated to arrest Putin. The South African government’s main opposition party even took legal action to compel the government to arrest him if he entered the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office acknowledged the challenges in executing such an arrest, stating that Russia had made it clear that arresting their sitting president would be seen as a declaration of war.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the allegations, emphasizing that no official communication had been received regarding the arrest warrant. He stated that attempting to encroach on the head of the Russian state would have severe consequences.
The ICC issued the arrest warrant for Putin in March, accusing him of being responsible for the forced deportation of thousands of children to Russia, where they underwent political “reeducation” training. The warrant also included Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for children’s rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, for sharing responsibility in the deportations.
Peskov strongly condemned the formulation of the issue, considering it outrageous and unacceptable.
Source:
The Washington Examiner
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