South Africa said it was aware of its legal obligations and “takes note” of the announcement of an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was expected to visit the country for the BRICS summit in August this year. This was stated by Vincent Magvenya, a representative of the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, commenting on Putin's alleged visit. He is quoted by Reuters.
“We as a government are aware of our legal obligations. However, in the period leading up to the summit, we will continue to engage with various stakeholders. We take note of the message about the arrest warrant issued by the ICC,” Magvenya said.
There was no official confirmation of Putin's visit to South Africa. Reuters claims he was supposed to attend the BRICS summit, as he did in 2013.
On March 17, the ICC in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin, and a warrant was also issued for the children's ombudsman, Lvova-Belova. The decision has direct consequences for both defendants, the lawyers explained to The Insider. Now any of the 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute is required to arrest them if they arrive.