3 april 2025
Hungary’s government has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), just before Prime Minister Viktor Orban received his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, the subject of an ICC arrest warrant.
“Hungary exits the International Criminal Court. The government will initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday, in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework,” Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, posted on Facebook on Thursday.
Orban, who first floated the idea in February after the US imposed sanctions on the court, said Hungary is withdrawing because the ICC has become too politicised, citing its decisions on Israel.
The withdrawal bill is likely to be approved by Hungary’s parliament, which is dominated by Orban’s Fidesz party. The ICC has not yet commented on Hungary’s announcement.
A state’s withdrawal from the court also takes effect only one year after the deposit of the withdrawal’s instrument – usually in the form of a formal letter declaring the pullout – with the United Nations secretary-general’s office.
So far, only Burundi and the Philippines have withdrawn from the court.
Source Aljazeera
