Hungary’s government has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, who first floated the idea in February after the US imposed sanctions on the court, said that his country is withdrawing because the ICC has become too politicised, citing its decisions on Israel.
Orban’s Chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, posted on Facebook, that the government will initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday, in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework.
The withdrawal bill is likely to be approved by Hungary’s parliament, which is dominated by Orban’s Fidesz party.
A state’s withdrawal from the court also takes effect only one year after the deposit of the withdrawal’s instrument – usually in the form of a formal letter declaring the pullout – with the United Nations Secretary-General’s office.
If it goes through with the withdrawal, Hungary will become the only European Union country not to be part of the ICC.
The withdrawal announcement came as Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Hungary on his first trip to Europe since 2023 in defiance of the ICC’s arrest warrant against him over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Netanyahu got a warm welcome in the Hungarian capital where he is on a four-day visit.
A welcoming ceremony at the Lion’s Court of the imposing Buda Castle saw him walk down a red carpet with Orban on Thursday, before the two leaders held talks.
Orban extended an invitation to Netanyahu last November, a day after the ICC issued the arrest warrant.
He had said the European Union member would not execute the warrant, despite being an ICC member, saying the court’s decision “intervenes in an ongoing conflict … for political purposes.”
Hungary signed the Rome Statute, the international treaty that created the ICC, in 1999 and ratified it two years later during Orban’s first term in office.
Gulyas, Orban’s aide, said in November that although Hungary ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC, it “was never made part of Hungarian law”, meaning that no measure of the court can be carried out within Hungary.
However, Tamas Hoffmann, a Senior research fellow at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences specialising in international criminal law, argues that Hungary still has “a legal obligation” to comply with the ICC’s decisions.
Netanyahu Hails Hungary’s Decision
Speaking at a press conference with his Hungarian counterpart, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Orban for his decision to leave the court.
He called it a “bold and principled position” against the “corrupt organization.”
He also praised Hungary for its “proud” support for Israel.
“This is important not just for us, but for all democracies … it’s important to stand up to this corrupt organization.”
Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu added that he expects Hungary to be the first, but not last country to walk away from the court.
The ICC said that it had “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu bears criminal responsibility for war crimes including “starvation as a method of warfare” and “the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”
Israel has rejected the ICC’s accusations, which it says are politically motivated and fuelled by anti-Semitism.
It says the ICC has lost all legitimacy by issuing warrants against a democratically elected leader of a country exercising the right of self-defence.
The EU has been split in its reaction to the arrest warrants.
Some countries, like Ireland and Spain, said they would arrest Netanyahu if he was to visit their territory.
Others, including France and Germany, gave a more cautious responses and questioned whether the ICC has jurisdiction over Israel as the country is not a member of the court.
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