South African Government Admits Delay in Issuing Arrest Warrant for Vladimir Putin
Russian Putin will be ArrestedÂ
According to reports from European Pravda, the South African government acknowledged on July 21 that it did not fulfill its international obligations when it initially refused to promptly issue an arrest warrant for Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the event of his entry into the country.
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The Justice Department of South Africa had received the necessary documents regarding the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court back in May. However, instead of immediately sending the warrant to the country’s National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), the government opted to initiate a consultation process with the court in The Hague.
The delay in issuing the warrant raised concerns, but the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has now confirmed that the warrant has been finally sent.
The timing of this development is notable as next month, South Africa is set to host a summit of BRICS countries. Despite the ICC warrant and South Africa’s participation in the International Criminal Court, both South African and Russian officials had previously indicated that Putin would be allowed to attend the summit.
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However, a recent announcement from the South African presidential office on July 19 stated that Vladimir Putin will not be attending the upcoming BRICS summit. Instead, Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
It is essential to note that in March of the same year, the ICC issued arrest warrants not only for Vladimir Putin but also for Maria Lvova-Belova, a Russian official allegedly involved in overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Since February 2022, over 19,500 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia, drawing international attention and condemnation.
