South Africa is waiting for “legal opinion” before issuing an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the BRICS Summit scheduled for August, International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor has said.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin a week ago for his alleged forced deportation of over 16,000 children following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
This act is considered a war crime, according to the ICC, and the warrant requires South Africa and 122 other member states of the court to arrest Putin if he ever sets foot in their territories and to transfer him to The Hague for trial.
Pandor said despite Putin being among the BRICS’ leaders, legal opinion must first be sought regarding the ICC’s arrest warrant before it is carried out.
“We are awaiting a refreshed legal opinion on the matter and we continue to be a member-state of the Rome Treaty,” the minister said on Thursday.
She added: “We are concerned about the situation of the people of Ukraine. What we want to do is to be in a position where we could continue to engage with both countries to persuade them towards peace.”
Meanwhile, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned that any attempt to arrest Putin over the ICC arrest warrant would be considered by Moscow to be “a declaration of war”.
NM/jn/APA