South African high court orders government to arrest Vladimir Putin on arrival for war crimes
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday asked the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shamila Batohi, to issue an arrest warrant for Putin
The South African government has been ordered by the high court to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he ever sets foot in the country, in compliance with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) directive.
The confirmation came after the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday asked the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shamila Batohi, to issue an arrest warrant for Putin.
The court agreed to the demands of opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party and ordered the ruling government to adhere to the obligations under the Rome Statute and arrest Putin, news24 reported.
South Africa has been a signatory to the statute since 1998.
The ICC issued a warrant against Putin for alleged war crimes during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The opposition DA had sought the court’s intervention to pressure the government to arrest Putin if he travels to South Africa for the BRICS summit, scheduled for August in Johannesburg.
But after the government announced that Putin would skip the BRICS Summit, the DA urged the court to order the government to implement the arrest warrant any time the Russian president travels to the country.
South Africa obliged to arrest Putin if he lands in the country
Notably, in an affidavit on Thursday, on the eve of the court challenge, justice department director-general Doctor Mashabane admitted that he was "obliged" to forward the arrest warrant to Batohi immediately upon receipt of it on May 8, in line with South Africa's Implementation Act.
However, Mashabane said he did not "discharge" that obligation because he wanted to consult with the ICC first.
That meeting happened on 8 June.
Opposition claims victory
Following the court order, DA leader John Steenhuisen claimed victory, saying Mashabane only sent the ICC's documents to Batohi on Monday because the application put them under "pressure".
Also read | Putin, facing international arrest warrant, will not attend upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg
"Despite President Cyril Ramaphosa's best efforts to shield Putin from accountability for his alleged war crimes – including through his absurd claim that the South African Constitution somehow prohibited him from complying with the ICC directive,” Steenhuisen said, according to news24.
“It is now clear that the DA's commitment to justice and the rule of law has been completely vindicated. The justice department's request for Batohi to issue a warrant of arrest for Putin directly contradicts Ramaphosa and confirms the DA's stance that this was always the only correct course of action," Steenhuisen asserted.
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