South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that his government is still deciding how to handle the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin is expected to attend the Brics summit in South Africa in August, and if he does, South Africa, as an ICC member, would be required to detain him.
Ramaphosa, who chairs the BRICS group, confirmed that invitations have been issued to all the members and that they are still waiting for confirmation on their attendance.
The president emphasized that the matter is still being discussed and considered.
In 2015, South Africa did not comply with the ICC’s warrant of arrest for Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, despite a local court order compelling the arrest.
Namibian President Hage Geingob weighed in on the matter, expressing his skepticism of the ICC’s independence and suggesting that South Africa is being “targeted” by the court.
