President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa stated in court documents made public on Tuesday that detaining Vladimir Putin would be equivalent to declaring war on Russia. This comes as the nation struggles to decide whether to welcome the Russian leader.
Putin has been invited to a BRICS conference in Johannesburg next month, but he is the subject of an arrest order from the International Criminal Court; Pretoria would be obligated to apply this clause as an ICC member if he attended.
South Africa’s diplomatic dilemma is playing out in court, where the leading opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is trying to force the government’s hand and ensure the Kremlin leader is held and handed over to the ICC if he steps foot in the country.
But in a responding affidavit, Ramaphosa described the DA’s application as “irresponsible” and said national security was at stake.
“Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting President would be a declaration of war,” he said.
“It would be inconsistent with our Constitution to risk engaging in war with Russia,” he said, adding that this would go against his duty to protect the country.
South Africa is seeking an exemption under ICC rules based on the fact that enacting the arrest could threaten the “security, peace and order of the state,” he said.
South Africa is the current chair of the BRICS group, a gathering of heavyweights that also includes Brazil, Russia, India and China, which sees itself as a counter-balance to Western economic domination.
Putin is sought by the ICC over accusations that Russia unlawfully deported Ukrainian children.
Deputy South African President Paul Mashatile has said in recent interviews with local media the government has been trying to persuade Putin not to come — but so far unsuccessfully.
Signed in June and initially marked as “confidential”, Ramaphosa’s affidavit was published on Tuesday, after the court ruled related papers be made public.
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