Hungary withdraws from ICC

Admin

April 4, 2025
3 min read

Hungary has announced it is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, hours after its PM met with the leader of Israel. A senior official in Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government confirmed the news after he met with Benjamin Netanyahu. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.

Orban invited the Israeli leader shortly after the warrant was issued in November 2024. The ruling, he said, would have “no effect” in Hungary. In November, ICC judges said that there were “reasonable grounds” that Netanyahu bore “criminal responsibility” over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza. The decision was branded “antisemitic” by the Israeli leader.

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The ICC has the authority to prosecute those it accuses of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Hungary is among its founding members and will be the first member of the EU to withdraw. This will not have any impact on ongoing proceedings.

Orban said that the court had become a “political court,” adding that the decision to issue a warrant against Netanyahu “clearly showed” it. Netanyahu has praised the “bold and principled” decision by Hungary to withdraw.

“It’s important for all democracies. It’s important to stand up to this corrupt organisation,” he said.

The decision from Budapest is in line with Orban’s foreign policy stance, forming closer ties with Israel and taking a more sceptical approach towards international institutions, he considers to be infringing on national sovereignty.

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