BREAKING: Vladimir Putin will NOT attend BRICS Summit in SA

The Presidency has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the BRICS Summit in South Africa next month.

This comes as the International Crime Court (ICC) has issued a warrant of arrest for Putin as he is accused of being responsible for the war crimes of unlawful deportation of children, and the unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation under Articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute.

VLADIMIR PUTIN NOT COMING TO SA

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said by mutual agreement, Putin will not attend the summit but the Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“In due course, a comprehensive statement on the substantive issues to be covered at the Summit and other related foreign policy matters will be issued,” Magwenya said.

South Africa will host the BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, Johannesburg, from 22 to 24 August 2023.

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DA LAUNCHGES COURT BID

In May this year, the Democratic Alliance (DA) launched a court application in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria requesting a declaratory order to have Russia President, Vladimir Putin when he arrives in South Africa to attend the BRICS summit.

The party’s Shadow Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach said this peremptory court action aims to ensure that South Africa upholds its obligations in terms of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act 27 of 2002 (Implementation Act).

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