Brazil's President questions ICC membership and Putin's potential arrest

Brazil questions ICC membership choice

Brazil's President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, raised concerns on Monday regarding Brazil's membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC), pointing out that nations like the United States, China, and India have not joined the ICC.

Putin's potential arrest

During a press briefing in New Delhi, President Lula discussed the possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin attending next year's G20 summit in Brazil. He noted that it would be Brazil's judiciary, not the government, that would make the decision regarding Putin's potential arrest. The International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March, accusing him of war crimes related to the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. Russia has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that its forces did not engage in war crimes or forcibly remove Ukrainian children.

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President Lula expressed curiosity about Brazil's decision to become a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC. He questioned why countries like the United States, India, and China had not signed the ICC treaty while Brazil had.

Putin's G20 attendance

President Putin had not attended the previous two G20 summits in Bali and New Delhi; instead, Russia was represented by its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. President Lula noted that if Putin chose to participate in next year's summit in Rio de Janeiro, any potential arrest would be within the purview of the judiciary.

In a previous interview, President Lula had stated that there was "no way" Putin would be arrested if he attended the G20 summit in Brazil. This discussion highlights the complexities surrounding international diplomacy, the ICC, and potential legal actions concerning world leaders.

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