Hungary has officially withdrawn from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which had previously issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This was announced on Thursday by Gergely Gulyás, the chief of staff to the Hungarian Prime Minister, as reported by Telex. According to Gulyás, the government initiated the withdrawal process in accordance with national and international law.
The announcement of Hungary’s exit from the ICC came just before a meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, who arrived in the country on an official visit. Netanyahu had been invited to Hungary in November 2024, shortly after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him on charges of war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Previously, the Hungarian government called the court’s decision “absurd and disgraceful,” stating that it does not intend to recognize it and aims to reinforce its stance through concrete actions.
According to media reports, Hungarian Justice Minister Bence Tuzson informed ambassadors in a closed-door meeting that Hungary was preparing to leave the ICC. The decision to reassess Hungary’s membership in the court came after the United States imposed sanctions on the ICC.
