Russian Kommersant newspaper published a report indicates that the government of the Republic of South Africa in intend to enact a law protecting foreign leaders from ICC arrest warrants.
The South African authorities want to legislate a law that allows foreign leaders to visit the country, even if the International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for them.
According to the Foreign Ministry of South Africa, that South Africa will adapt the example of Great Britain, which enacted a similar law.
“We will directly incorporate Article 98 (of the Statute of the International Criminal Court) into national legislation, in this case, the leaders of foreign countries will be protected from arrest”.
It was recently known about the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was issued a warrant for his arrest by the International Criminal Court in March, his decision to apologize for not attend the BRICS summit in South Africa.
As a signatory to the Rome Statute, South Africa finds itself required to arrest foreign leaders under arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.
In the event of a possible visit by Vladimir Putin, the South African authorities would have tried not to fulfill their obligations to the ICC.
However, South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, has secured through the court the implementation of the March ICC decision against the Russian president.
