Hungary must arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming visit as per the requirements of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Erika Guevara-Rosas, the head of Global Research, Advocacy, and Policy at Amnesty International, urged on Monday. 

According to Guevara-Rosas, Netanyahu "is an alleged war criminal, who is accused of using starvation as a method of warfare, intentionally attacking civilians and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. " 

In November 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on charges of "crimes against humanity and war crimes." ICC state members, thus, are legally obliged to arrest the Israeli prime minister. However, several nations, including Poland, Italy, and Hungary, have attempted to challenge the court's jurisdiction. 

Earlier this year, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán extended an invitation to Benjamin Netanyahu, while Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó dismissed the arrest warrant, labeling it an example of "modern age antisemitism," claiming it had "discredited" the court. 

In this context, Amnesty's Guevara-Rosas said any failure to arrest Netanyahu and hand him over to the Court would "embolden Israel to commit further crimes against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."

She further stressed that Hungary's invitation and Netanyahu's visit undermine the top court and insult the victims of the crimes he is charged with. 

“Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary must not become a bellwether for the future of human rights in Europe,” she stated, urging world leaders to break their “shameful silence” and demand accountability for "Israel’s" actions in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Guevara-Rosas called on the ICC to investigate and prosecute "Israel’s" crimes, stressing that Hungary should apply universal jurisdiction to ensure that Netanyahu does not evade justice.

“The ICC was established to ensure accountability for victims of genocide and other crimes under international law, and so that crimes which shock the human conscience would “never again” be accompanied by impunity,” she said, adding that the court now faces a global backlash from powerful leaders attempting to weaken international law and obstruct accountability.

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