Pretoria, South Africa – (African Boulevard News) – As South Africa prepares to host the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) bloc summit, a local NGO, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), is demanding the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing human rights violations and war crimes.
LHR is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and has close diplomatic ties with Moscow. The NGO has accused Putin of violating international law by supporting Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. Putin has been accused of bombing schools, hospitals, and other civilian targets in Syria, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.
In a statement released by LHR, the organization said, “We will not allow Putin to come to South Africa and continue his reign of terror. He must be held accountable for his crimes against humanity. South Africa has a moral obligation to arrest him and hand him over to the ICC.”
The call for Putin’s arrest has garnered mixed reactions from human rights activists and political analysts. Some have praised LHR for taking a bold stance against human rights violations, while others have questioned the legality of arresting a head of state on foreign soil.
Political analyst, Professor Lesiba Teffo, believes that South Africa’s close diplomatic ties with Russia make it unlikely that Putin will be arrested. “Russia is an important ally to South Africa and arresting Putin could have serious diplomatic repercussions. Despite LHR’s good intentions, the reality is that the chances of Putin being arrested are slim,” he said.
While Putin’s attendance at the BRICS summit remains uncertain, LHR is adamant that if he does attend, he will be met with protests and calls for his arrest. “We will not rest until justice is served. Putin cannot continue to get away with his crimes. We urge the South African government to act in the interest of justice and hold him accountable,” said LHR.
The push for Putin’s arrest at the BRICS summit comes at a time when the international community is calling for accountability for war crimes, especially in Syria. The summit is scheduled to take place in South Africa in September of this year, and it remains to be seen if the call for Putin’s arrest will be heard.
