Hungary has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), becoming the first EU member state to do so.
The move was declared shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Budapest for a state visit, amid an ICC arrest warrant issued against him for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Israel-Hamas war.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has long expressed skepticism toward international institutions. His chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, described the ICC as having "deviated from its original purpose" and called its warrant against Netanyahu “unacceptable.”
Although Hungary is a founding member of the ICC, its parliament never ratified the court’s statute into domestic law, which the government now argues limits its obligations. Hungary will formally notify the UN of its withdrawal under Article 127 of the Rome Statute, which takes effect one year later.
The decision has drawn condemnation from international rights groups and raised concerns about growing political influence over international justice. Critics argue that Hungary’s move, timed with Netanyahu’s visit, undermines the court’s authority and sets a dangerous precedent.
Netanyahu, who has strongly denied the ICC’s jurisdiction and called the warrant “antisemitic,” is also under a separate warrant along with former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Meanwhile, Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, which Palestinian health authorities say have resulted in over 50,000 deaths since October 2023.
The ICC insists Hungary remains obligated to cooperate with its processes until the withdrawal is finalized, but enforcement of ICC warrants has often been inconsistent, even among member states.
This withdrawal signals a further erosion of multilateral norms at a time when global consensus on international justice appears increasingly fragile.
The move was declared shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Budapest for a state visit, amid an ICC arrest warrant issued against him for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Israel-Hamas war.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has long expressed skepticism toward international institutions. His chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, described the ICC as having "deviated from its original purpose" and called its warrant against Netanyahu “unacceptable.”
Although Hungary is a founding member of the ICC, its parliament never ratified the court’s statute into domestic law, which the government now argues limits its obligations. Hungary will formally notify the UN of its withdrawal under Article 127 of the Rome Statute, which takes effect one year later.
The decision has drawn condemnation from international rights groups and raised concerns about growing political influence over international justice. Critics argue that Hungary’s move, timed with Netanyahu’s visit, undermines the court’s authority and sets a dangerous precedent.
Netanyahu, who has strongly denied the ICC’s jurisdiction and called the warrant “antisemitic,” is also under a separate warrant along with former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Meanwhile, Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, which Palestinian health authorities say have resulted in over 50,000 deaths since October 2023.
The ICC insists Hungary remains obligated to cooperate with its processes until the withdrawal is finalized, but enforcement of ICC warrants has often been inconsistent, even among member states.
This withdrawal signals a further erosion of multilateral norms at a time when global consensus on international justice appears increasingly fragile.
