Accused of war crimes, Russian President Vladimir Putin should not be arrested in Brazil if he comes to the country for the next G20 summit in 2024, said President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in an interview with Indian TV in New Delhi, where the group’s meeting takes place this weekend.
“What I can say is that, if I am president of Brazil and if he goes to Brazil, there is no reason for him to be arrested,” he declared.
Lula also stated that Putin will be invited to visit Brazil because he must meet him in 2024, in Russia, due to the Brics meeting, scheduled to be hosted by the Russians next year.
“Before the G20 in Brazil, we will have the Brics in Russia, and I will go to the Brics in Russia next year (…) Everyone is going to the Brics meeting, and I hope they will also come to the G20 in Brazil,” he said. “I believe that Putin can easily go to Brazil.”
Despite Lula’s statements, Brazil promulgated, in 2002, its adherence to the Rome Statute, becoming part of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in The Hague. And the entity issued an arrest warrant for Putin.
Thus, if Lula does not order Putin’s arrest in Brazil, if he comes to the country, the president will be violating an international agreement to which the country is a signatory.
Check out Lula’s statement in full:
“Before the G20 in Brazil, there is the Brics in Russia. And I’m going to Brics in Russia. I think the Prime Minister [da Índia, Narendra] Modi will also go, Xi Jinping [da China] also goes, South Africa too, Saudi Arabia too, United Arab Emirates, Egypt. So, everyone goes to Brics. So, I hope they also come to the G20 summit in Brazil. In Brazil, they will feel an atmosphere of peace. So they will feel that, in Brazil, we like music, Carnival, football, but we like peace. And we like to treat people well. So, I believe that Putin can easily go to Brazil. I can tell you that, if I am the president of Brazil and if he comes to Brazil, there is no reason for him to be arrested.”
*Published by Pedro Jordão, from CNN in Sao Paulo
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Source: CNN Brasil

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