Putin cancels South Africa visit after ICC arrest

The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin caused the Russian president’s planned visit to South Africa to become controversial. Now the trip is cancelled.

South Africa is a signatory to the International Court of Justice Convention and would be obliged to arrest and extradite Putin to the ICC if he visited the country.

But now it is clear that Vladimir Putin will not go to South Africa to participate in the BRICS summit, according to AFP.

“By mutual agreement, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the summit, but Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov,” a spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement.

The Russian president is invited to the summit of the so-called BRICS countries, which South Africa is hosting in August.