Vladimir Putin Warned of Possible Arrest if Russian President Attends BRICS Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin could be arrested in South Africa
Putin is encouraged to attend the BRICS summit via online
South Africa has "no choice" but to detain Putin

South African authorities have stated that Vladimir Putin could be detained if he decides to attend an important economic summit in person this summer.

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa convene annually to bolster their emerging economies. Local authorities will arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he attends the international BRICS summit in South Africa, according to a statement issued by Pretoria, which instead invited him to participate via "Teams or Zoom from Moscow."

Putin Can be Arrested in South Africa

Putin and Russian politician Maria Lvova-Belova were issued arrest warrants in March by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The two are accused of deporting minors unlawfully from Ukraine to Russia. As a result, 123 countries that ratified a legally binding statute must arrest the two individuals.

Despite President Cyril Ramaphosa's statements, his office verified no withdrawal intentions from the Rome Statute. Previously, Ramaphosa stated that he was requested to mediate the Russia-Ukraine conflict, i24 News reported.

BRICS made headlines after announcing their intention to create a new currency to reduce their reliance on the US dollar and other Western currencies and to shield themselves from external pressure. Brazil and China have already agreed to bypass the dollar when trading products.

According to a special commission's conclusion, the country would have "no choice" but to detain Putin if he entered the country. As it continues its invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military has suffered 100,000 casualties, including fatalities and injuries, in the past five months, according to the White House.

This has led to the conclusion that Putin's Donbas "winter offensive" was unsuccessful. According to US intelligence estimates, this number includes more than 20,000 fatalities.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was created in 2002 to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. It is the first permanent international criminal court whose jurisdiction extends to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2002.

Per Republic World, the ICC is a court of last resort, meaning that it only prosecutes cases when national authorities are unwilling or unable to do so. International justices consider its cases, which are conducted in English and French.

The prosecutor's office launches its investigations after reviewing information from various sources, including governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations.

The prosecutor's office can issue detention warrants and transport individuals to court for trial once an investigation has been initiated. The ICC can impose fines, order reparations, and impose prison sentences of up to life.

Russia Insists to Participate in BRICS Summit

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, affirmed in April that Russia would participate in the summit.

"Of course, we will participate in the upcoming summit in South Africa. Naturally, this will be preceded by our bilateral contacts with the South Africans, during which we will elucidate their position," he stated.

Contrary to Ramaphosa's recent statements, South Africa stated last week that it has no intentions to withdraw from the ICC. During a media briefing, Ramaphosa's office attributed his controversial remarks criticizing the ICC and threatening to leave the court in The Hague to a "communication error."

Ramaphosa's office issued a statement clarifying that South Africa remains a signatory of the International Criminal Court.

The international court based in the Netherlands stated in a warrant issued on March 17 that "reasonable grounds exist to believe that Putin carries individual criminal responsibility" for child abductions in Ukraine. As Russia does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction, the Kremlin has derided the warrant as irrelevant, per NY Post.