'No Option' But To Arrest Vladimir Putin If The Russian President Attends BRICS Summit: Report

South Africa would have “no option” but to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, a senior government official said, if he attends the BRICS economic bloc in August in person.

“If he comes here, we have to arrest him. There is nothing that the interministerial committee [that was appointed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa] can explore that will allow Putin to come here [and not be arrested]. The only option we have is for him to connect via Teams or Zoom from Moscow,” said the official, according to the South African Sunday Times.

The statement was made amid a delegation from the country traveling to Washington to meet with White House officials, congressmen and senators to explain why South Africa has chosen not to align itself with either country over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, instead calling for a peaceful resolution.

The Backdrop: On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest for the unlawful deportation of children from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia, according to UN News. Moscow denies forcibly deporting children from Ukraine and says that because it isn’t a member of the ICC, the Hague-based court has no authority over Putin.

South Africa is a member of the ICC and on April 26, Ramaphosa walked back a statement that the African National Congress would aim to remove itself from the international court ahead of the BRICS summit.

BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the largest fast-growing economies that Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill said in 2001 would dominate the global economy by 2050. While countries within the alliance plan to continue using their domestic currencies, there are plans to introduce an alternative, shared currency in the future.

Read More: BRICS Currency Rising? 19 Countries Desperate To Join The Powerhouse Group

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