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The move by Hungary coincides with a visit from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the Hague-based court
Hungary will pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) because it has become a “political tool,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said.
The announcement coincides with a visit to the EU and NATO member-state by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the Hague-based body for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s ongoing military operation in Gaza.
During a joint press-conference with Netanyahu on Thursday, Orban said that in recent years the ICC had stopped being impartial and turned into “a political court.”
Hungary, which is a “democratic state governed by the rule of law, cannot participate in this,” he insisted.
The Israeli leader praised Budapest for its “brave step” in quitting the UN court, which he described as “a corrupt organization” that chose to prosecute Israel instead of going after terrorists.
READ MORE: Netanyahu defies ICC with Budapest visit (PHOTOS)
Earlier on Thursday, Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, announced that Budapest would officially begin the process of withdrawal from the ICC later in the day “in accordance with [the] constitutional and international legal framework.”
Budapest signed the Rome Statute, which gives the ICC its powers, in 1999 and ratified it two years later.
Obran invited Netanyahu to visit Hungary a day after the Hague-based court issued an arrest warrant against him, saying that he would “guarantee him that if he comes, the ICC ruling will have no effect in Hungary, and we will not follow its contents.”
The court does not have its own police force and relies on member-states to detain and transfer suspects. The ICC’s jurisdiction is currently recognized by 123 countries.
In February, the administration of US President Donald Trump sanctioned the ICC and its top prosecutor Karim Khan for going after Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Washington is not a party to the ICC. Other non-participating states include Russia, China, and Israel.
In March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Moscow called the order “null and void,” saying the children had been evacuated for safety reasons and could be returned to their parents or guardians upon request.