Budapest (TDI): Hungary has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). A senior official in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government confirmed this decision just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the subject of an ICC arrest warrant, arrived in Hungary for a state visit.
Orbán had invited Netanyahu immediately after the issuance of the warrant last November, asserting that the ruling would have “no effect” in Hungary.
In that same month, ICC judges found “reasonable grounds” to believe that Netanyahu bore “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Hungary is a founding member of the ICC and, after the announcement it has made, will be the first European Union member to pull out of it. Although the withdrawal will have no bearing on the ongoing proceedings in the Court.
🇭🇺🇮🇱 Prime Minister @netanyahu in Budapest, the safest place in Europe. Welcome to Hungary, Prime Minister! pic.twitter.com/GI1cjGj6X1
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) April 3, 2025
The ICC is a global court with the authority to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Hungary’s decision aligns with PM Orbán’s broader foreign policy, who has fostered close ties with Netanyahu and has taken a critical stance toward international institutions; perceiving them as infringing on national sovereignty.
Hungary will send a written notification to the UN Secretary General regarding its intention to leave the treaty, with the withdrawal taking effect one year later, as stipulated in Article 127 of the Rome Statute.
Hungarian Defense Minister, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, welcomed Netanyahu at Budapest airport on Wednesday night.
Read More: Israel to Appeal Against ICC Arrest Warrants
Israel is appealing against the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and strongly rejects the accusations, denying both the authority of the ICC and the legitimacy of the warrants.
Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary is coming at a time when Israel has announced the expansion of its offensive in Gaza and the establishment of a new military corridor to pressure Hamas, with deadly Israeli strikes continuing across the Palestinian territory.
Areeba Kanwal is a contributor at The Diplomatic Insight and has passion for International Relations and diplomacy.
