Hungary announces its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court in full visit to Netanyahu, targeted by an arrest warrant – Liberation

« Hungary leaves the ICC. » In a Facebook post published this Thursday, April 3, Gergely Gulyas, director of cabinet of the nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, expressed a strong decision taken by Hungary, at the very moment when Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, under a arrest warrant of the same CPI, is on Hungarian soil. Israel immediately delighted this choice, evoking it « Strong moral position » of Hungary. A few moments later, the ICC recalled that Budapest remained « Builled to cooperate » with the court.

Hungary has repeatedly denounced an institution deemed « Politically biased » And decided to take the plunge in the wake of Donald Trump, who imposed sanctions in the court in February for what he described as« Illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel ». Contacted, the Hague-based court (Netherlands) refused to comment. The withdrawal of a State takes effect only one year after the official deposit of the file with the General Secretariat of the United Nations.

This announcement comes as Viktor Orbán receives his Israeli counterpartdespite the arrest warrant issued in November 2024 by the ICC against the latter. Arrived at night, Benyamin Netanyahu was received Thursday morning with the military honors.

Hungary invited him from the news of the known ICC, saying herself « Shocked by a shameful decision ». In return, Israel praised the « Moral clarity » of the country. The jurisdiction recalled « Legal obligation » from Budapest and his « Responsibility for other States Parties » To perform decisions. « In the event of concerns about their cooperation with the Court, states can consult itunderlines his spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah. But it is not up to them to unilaterally determine the merits of the legal decisions of the ICC. ”

Founded in 2002, the International Criminal Court Its mission is to pursue the authors of the most serious crimes committed in the world, when countries do not have the will or the ability to do it themselves. Today it has 125 member states that have ratified the status of Rome, its founding treaty.

Hungary signed in 1999 the status of Rome, the founding treaty of the ICC, ratified two years later, during the first mandate of Viktor Orbán. But it did not validate the associated agreement for reasons of constitutionality and therefore claims to be obliged to comply with the decisions of the International Court. To date, only two states have slammed the door: Burundi and the Philippines.

Donald Trump Openly denigrates since his mandateeven imposing sanctions in February, While Vladimir Putin has been targeted since March 2023 by a mandate for the alleged war crime of deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Of the 60 arrest warrants issued since 2002, only 21 had been executed, before the recent arrest of the former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte.

Update: At 12:19 p.m. with the reactions of Israel and the ICC.