The Democratic Alliance (DA) has applied to the Gauteng High Court to request a declaratory order warranting the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

There is speculation as to whether Putin will arrive in South Africa to attend the fifteenth annual Brics Summit taking place between August 22 and 24.

On Monday, government said it would provide diplomatic immunity to attendees of the upcoming Brics ministerial meeting in Cape Town this week and the summit in August. 

Government described the moves as a “a routine procedure”.

The DA is seeking an order to compel the South African government to detain and surrender Putin to the International Criminal Court (ICC) if he attends the Brics Summit.

“This pre-emptory action aims to ensure that South Africa upholds its obligations in terms of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Implementation Act),” said DA Shadow Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach.

Putin has been charged by the ICC for war crimes, which include the unlawful deportation of children and the unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine into Russia.

In doing away with any legal ambiguity pertaining to the matter, the DA has detailed the steps that ought to be taken following a request for the arrest and surrender of Putin from the ICC. 

“The Director-General of Justice and Constitutional Development must immediately forward the request to a Magistrate in terms of section 8(2) of the Implementation Act. Subsequently, any warrant of arrest endorsed by a Magistrate must be given effect to by the government,” opined Breytenbach.