Russian party says there will be ‘war’ if SA’s arrest Putin.
The leading political party in Russia reportedly warned the South African government not to arrest Russia’s President Vladamir Putin when he comes to the country for the BRICS summit later this year.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) earlier this month issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. The alleged crimes were committed in occupied Ukrainian territory from at least 24 February 2022.
ICC WANTS PUTIN ARRESTED:
“There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crime,” said the Court.
However, the South African government is still deliberating on the issue.
EWN reported that ANC’s Obed Bapela said he was one of the people who were delegated to Russia for talks with the Russian party earlier this year.
RUSSIA SAYS IF SOUTH AFRICA ARRESTS PUTIN THERE WILL BE ‘WAR’
“They had indicated that he is coming, so we have a situation as South Africa, obviously they told us ‘you dare arrest our president and you are declaring war on us,” the report quoted Bapela as saying.
‘DOUBLE STANDARDS IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS‘
In March, International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor said that there are double standards in global affairs.
“There are many countries that have been involved in wars, in the invasion of territory, in killing people, arresting political activists and none of them have been caught up by the ICC. So it seems if you are powerful and enjoy a particular status in the global community, you escape.
“President Putin is one of the heads of BRICS and is invited to the summit and I think the ICC warrant is a matter of concern,” said Pandor.
