Russia made it clear that Putin's arrest will be considered "declaration of war" – South African President

Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the South African Republic, has said that Russia hinted at the potentially negative consequences of Vladimir Putin’s arrest on the warrant of the International Criminal Court if he arrives in August at the BRICS summit.

Source: European Pravda with reference to the local edition of The Daily Maverick

Details: Ramaphosa explained it to the court of the South African city of Gauteng, which considered granting Putin immunity from arrest.

The South African president's statement for the court was sent back in May and he insisted on its confidentiality, but earlier on Tuesday, the Gauteng High Court ordered the publication of Ramaphosa's words upon the request of the opposition Democratic Alliance party.

Quote: "Russia has made clear that arresting its incumbent would be a declaration of war. Taking risks and going to war with Russia is against our constitution," Ramaphosa said.

He also told the court that South Africa had begun consultations with the International Criminal Court under Article 97 of the Rome Statute, which are initiated in the event of a problem, which "could potentially prevent or make impossible the implementation of the ICC request."

South Africa ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which issued a warrant for Putin's arrest in March, suspecting his involvement in the mass deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories. Despite this, Ramaphosa has publicly stated that he expects the participation of the Russian President at the BRICS summit in August.

Ramaphosa requested that the Russian delegation at the BRICS summit in August be headed by Serey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, instead of President Vladimir Putin. Paul Mashatile, Deputy President of South Africa, reported that the request had been denied.

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