Hungary on Thursday said that it would begin the procedure of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the country for a state visit.
A senior official in Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government confirmed hours after Netanyahu, who is sought under an ICC arrest warrant over Gaza War, arrived in the country for a state visit.
“Hungary will withdraw from the International Criminal Court,” Gergely Gulyás, who is Orbán’s chief of staff said in a brief statement, according to Associated Press.
“The government will initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday, in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework,” it added.
🇭🇺🇮🇱 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
Hungary’s government, led by right-wing populist Orbán, had invited Netanyahu as soon as the warrant was issued last November, saying the ruling would have “no effect” in his country.
The Hungarian MP, a close Netanyahu ally, has called the arrest warrant “outrageously impudent” and “cynical.”
The ICC statutes maintain that member countries like Hungary are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil. However, the ICC has no way to enforce its mandates and relies on states to comply with its rulings.
In November, the top war-crimes court had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the Gaza War. The decision came six months after ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested the warrants.
The 125-member ICC has the authority to prosecute those accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Despite being a founding member of the ICC, Hungary will become the first European Union nation to pull out of it.
