Brazil's President Withdraws Security Assurances to Putin: Brazilian Judicial System to Decide

Brazil's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, announced on Monday, September 11th, that the question of the country's accession to the International Criminal Court (ICC) needs to be reconsidered, citing that countries like the United States, China, and India have not done so. This statement came against the backdrop of discussions surrounding security assurances to Russian President Vladimir Putin in case of his hypothetical visit to Brazil for the G20 summit next year. President Lula da Silva now believes that the issue of Putin's potential arrest should be handled by the local judicial system, as reported by Reuters.

During the sidelines of the G20 summit in India, Lula da Silva had previously stated that the Russian leader would not be arrested in Brazil if he decided to attend the next year's G20 summit, which will be held in the South American country. However, the tone of Lula's statements has now changed.

"I want to know why the United States, India, and China have not signed the ICC treaty, and why our country has," Lula said. It's worth noting that Brazil signed the Rome Statute, which led to the establishment of the ICC.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first permanent legal institution with the authority to prosecute individuals responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It was founded based on the Rome Statute adopted in 1998 and has been in operation since July 2002. Its jurisdiction covers crimes committed after the Rome Statute came into force.

Putin has skipped the last two G20 summits in Bali and New Delhi, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov representing Russia on those occasions.

"If Putin decides to join (the summit next year), the decision (regarding a possible arrest) should be made by the judicial authority, not my government," Lula da Silva told journalists in New Delhi.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of war crimes, specifically the unlawful deportation of hundreds of children from Ukraine. Russia denies that its forces were involved in war crimes or forcibly deported Ukrainian children.

Recall that The Gaze magazine summarized the outcomes of the G20 summit in India, providing a mixed assessment. On one hand, the slogan "One Earth. One Family. One Future" adorned every wall. On the other hand, there appeared to be a feigned lack of understanding of the true cause of the largest war in Europe in the last 78 years. On one hand, the primary focus was on sustainable development and the green transition. On the other hand, there was a persistent reluctance to define the timelines for such a transition. Read more in the article.