Hungary Withdraws from ICC Following Netanyahu Visit, Says Warrant ‘Unacceptable’
By The Media Line Staff
Hungary’s government announced on Thursday that it will begin the process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, a decision that came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Budapest for a state visit. This move by Hungary follows a controversial ICC arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu over allegations of war crimes in Gaza.
Right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who invited Netanyahu to Budapest in November—the day after the ICC issued its warrant—has been unequivocal in his stance. Orban described the warrant as “brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable.” Although Hungary signed the ICC’s founding document in 1999 and ratified the Rome Statute in 2001, it has never fully incorporated the court’s rulings into Hungarian law, a loophole highlighted by Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas.
Gulyas stated that Hungary will launch the withdrawal process later today, effectively rejecting its obligation to arrest or extradite any individual subject to an ICC warrant. This development marks a significant break from international norms, particularly since the ICC has mandated that all member states enforce its decisions.
The move comes amid escalating tensions in the region and follows President Donald Trump’s imposition of sanctions on the ICC’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, earlier this year—a decision that has further strained US-ICC relations. Netanyahu, for his part, has dismissed the ICC allegations as politically motivated “fake news” designed to undermine his government, which maintains that his actions are a legitimate exercise of Israel’s right to self-defense.
In addition to Netanyahu, the ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for a Hamas leader in November—an action that led to his confirmed death shortly thereafter. Israeli officials have long argued that the ICC has lost its legitimacy by targeting democratically elected leaders while ignoring the complexities of ongoing regional conflicts.
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