If Putin not arrested in Brazil, it to set precedent for other leaders accused of crimes – Kostin
If Putin, according to the information received by the Ukrainian side, attends the G20 summit in Brazil in November, he should be arrested, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said.
"We know that Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil. I would like to emphasize once again that the Brazilian authorities, as a state party to the Rome Statute, are obliged to arrest Putin if he decides to come there," Kostin said in an interview with Reuters, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office said.
The publication, citing Brazilian officials and Kremlin spokesmen, claims that the final decision on the Russian dictator's visit to Brazil has not yet been made. In turn, ICC representative Fadi El Abdallah stated that all states participating in the Rome Statute must act in accordance with the founding treaty and implement the court's decisions.
Kostin expressed hope that Brazil will confirm its status as a democratic and legal state.
"If this is not done, there is a risk of creating a precedent in which leaders accused of crimes will be able to travel with impunity," he said.
He said that the international community must unite and hold Putin accountable.