Hungary announces withdrawal from ICC as Netanyahu visits Budapest
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Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, who is staunchly supportive of the Israeli PM, invited the latter to Hungary in defiance of the ICC's arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center left, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, center right, participate in a welcoming ceremony with a guard of honor at Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary, on April 3, 2025 (AP)
The Hungarian government has announced its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in the country on Thursday.
Gergely Gulyas, Hungary's chief of staff, informed state news agency MTI on Thursday that the government would initiate the withdrawal process later in the day, however, Hungary's intention to leave the international court was first revealed after US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on ICC prosecutor Khalil Khan in February.
"It's time for Hungary to review what we're doing in an international organization that is under US sanctions," Victor Orban stated in a post on X.
Orban is staunchly supportive of the Israeli PM Netanyahu and "Israel", as demonstrated by the Hungarian PM's invitation to Netanyahu a day after the ICC issued its arrest warrant against Netanyahu under suspicion of committing war crimes in Gaza. Budapest's PM has expressed readiness to block EU statements or actions critical of "Israel" in the past.
As a founding member of the ICC, Hungary is theoretically obligated to arrest and extradite individuals targeted by the court's warrants, yet Orban explicitly stated that Hungary would not comply with the ruling, which he described as brazen, cynical, and utterly unacceptable.
Although Hungary signed the Rome Statute in 1999—the international treaty that established the International Criminal Court—and ratified it two years later during Orban's first term, the country has never incorporated the treaty's provisions into its constitutional framework, arguing that it is therefore not legally obligated to comply with ICC rulings.
Pro-Palestine organizations call Hungary to arrest Netanyahu
Several parties and humanitarian organizations have mounted pressure on Hungary to arrest the Israeli prime minister ahead of his visit, which concludes on April 6.
The European Green Party called for Netanyahu to be arrested and face trial at The Hague. Co-chair of the Green Party Ciaran Cuffe stated that the European Union and national government have a national responsibility to respect international law and holding people accountable for human rights violations and warcrimes.
Human Rights Watch has urged Hungary to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters the country, citing Hungary's legal obligation as an International Criminal Court (ICC) member to cooperate in arrests, criticizing Orban's invitation and describing it as an affront to victims of serious crimes.
Similarly, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a pro-Palestine advocacy group, announced it is taking immediate legal measures to challenge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled visit to Hungary, despite the ICC having issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Amnesty International's Erika Guevara-Rosas, head of Global Research, Advocacy, and Policy, urged Hungary on March 31 to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming visit in compliance with ICC obligations, stating that he is accused of war crimes—including using starvation as a method of warfare, intentionally targeting civilians—as well as crimes against humanity such as murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.
