Hungary to Leave the International Criminal Court

Hungary Today 2025.04.03.

The government has decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), announced Gergely Gulyás, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office. He said that the government will initiate the withdrawal process on Thursday, in accordance with constitutional and international legal frameworks, reported Hirado.hu.

The International Criminal Court “was a commendable initiative,” but in recent times, it has become a political body, with the indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu being the saddest example, explained Gulyás. The minister emphasized that

the government finds this unacceptable, and therefore decided not to participate in the work of the International Criminal Court.

Fact

Based on the organization’s website, the ICC prosecutes war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression when member states cannot or will not act. It has jurisdiction over crimes committed by member state nationals or within their territory and includes 125 member states. EU states are not required to join the ICC but have all done so voluntarily. The EU supports the ICC and its role in international justice, though membership is not a condition for joining the EU, wrote Reuters.

Gergely Gulyás explained that Hungary has always been in a unique position, because unlike other ICC member states, the Hungarian Parliament has never approved the court’s Rome Statute, meaning it is not part of domestic law. For this reason,

Hungary’s clear legal stance is that, based on this, no one could be arrested or subjected to any legal proceedings in Hungary.

He added that Hungary does not intend to resolve this ambiguous situation by ratifying the statute, but will leave the International Criminal Court through the withdrawal process.

The minister also pointed out that “serious concerns” have recently arisen internationally regarding the ICC’s activities. The United States, China, and Turkey have never been members of the ICC, and the U.S. Congress has decided to sanction ICC judges with bipartisan support. Furthermore, among European partners, the incoming German Chancellor and the sitting Polish Prime Minister have made it clear that despite their internal legal obligations, they would disregard the court’s decisions and would be happy to host the Israeli Prime Minister.

All these facts demonstrate that

the ICC’s activities have “deviated from its original purpose,” and since it has “become a political court,” Hungary no longer wishes to be a member,

Gulyás concluded.

Fact

The ICC has targeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with accusations related to the Gaza conflict. ICC member states are required to arrest individuals with warrants, like Netanyahu, if they enter their territory. Non-compliance could lead to diplomatic or political consequences.

Hungary Is Reassessing Its Future Participation in the ICC

Minister Szijjártó described the activities of the International Criminal Court as "seriously politicized."Continue reading

Via Hirado, Reuters; Fetured picture: Wikipedia