Orbán’s government confirms withdrawal from International Criminal Court

Hungary will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued arrest warrants for Russian president Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Hungarian Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Gergely Gyasi, said that Budapest was withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This is reported by the Telex outlet.

Gujas said that the government would initiate the withdrawal procedure on April 3 in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework.

The Hungarian government announced this decision on the eve of a meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had just arrived in the country on a visit.

Netanyahu was invited to Hungary by Viktor Orban in November 2024, after the ICC issued an international arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister on charges of war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

The Hungarian government had already announced that it would ignore the decision of the Hague body, which it called absurd and shameful.

The government indicated that it not only rejects the decision in principle but also wants to prove it in practice as soon as possible.

Earlier, the media reported that Hungarian Justice Minister Bence Tuzson announced last week at a closed meeting with ambassadors that Hungary would withdraw from the ICC.

Hungary decided to assess its status in the ICC after the US president’s decree on sanctions against the court.

The European Commission said it would deeply regret Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC.