The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has told a press conference that his country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court comes as a response to what he claimed was the body’s increasing political bias.
Orbán was speaking just hours after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, arrived in Budapest.
Netanyahu is subject to an international arrest warrant issued by the ICC in November and stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, charges that Budapest has branded “absurd.”
Referring to Thursday’s decision to withdraw Hungary from the ICC, Orbán said: “We are convinced that [the ICC] has become a political court. In the past years it has become not a court of the rule of law but a political court, which is not unbiased.”
He added: “This was clearly shown mostly in its decisions related to Israel and we believe that an international court motivated by political intentions cannot have Hungary participating in it, or any country that deems democracy as important.”
Hungary has itself been accused of trampling on democratic norms and policitizing its courts under Orbán, and has clashed frequently with the EU over rule-of-law issues.
Speaking directly after Orbán, Netanyahu—who has strongly denied the ICC’s accusations of war crimes—praised Budapest’s decision. “You’ve just taken a bold and principled position on the ICC, and I thank you, Viktor,” he said.
Netanyahu slammed the ICC as “a corrupt organization” that he claimed had unfairly targeted Israel for “fighting a just war with just means.”
Hungary is the first of the EU’s member states to withdraw from the ICC. However, Netanyahu expressed hope that others would soon follow.
Earlier, Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, also voiced his support for Hungary. Writing on X, Sa’ar said: “The so-called International Criminal Court lost its moral authority after trampling the fundamental principles of international law in its zest for harming Israel's right to self-defense.”
He added: “Thank you, Viktor Orbán and thank you Hungary for your clear and strong moral stance alongside Israel and the principles of justice and sovereignty.”
Israel, like the U.S., Russia and China, is not a member of the ICC, a body billed as the first permanent and treaty-based international criminal court.
With the withdrawal process forecast to take a year, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told reporters that Hungary was still expected to fulfill its obligations to the court during that time.
Netanyahu’s visit has been heavily criticized by human rights groups, as has Hungary’s invitation to the Israeli prime minister.
“Allowing Netanyahu’s visit in breach of Hungary's ICC obligations would be Orbán's latest assault on the rule of law, adding to the country’s dismal record on rights,” said Liz Evenson of Human Rights Watch ahead of the Israeli premier’s trip to Budapest.
“All ICC member countries need to make clear they expect Hungary to abide by its obligations to the court, and that they will do the same,” she added.
Netanyahu is subject to an international arrest warrant issued by the ICC in November and stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, charges that Budapest has branded “absurd.”
Referring to Thursday’s decision to withdraw Hungary from the ICC, Orbán said: “We are convinced that [the ICC] has become a political court. In the past years it has become not a court of the rule of law but a political court, which is not unbiased.”
He added: “This was clearly shown mostly in its decisions related to Israel and we believe that an international court motivated by political intentions cannot have Hungary participating in it, or any country that deems democracy as important.”
Hungary has itself been accused of trampling on democratic norms and policitizing its courts under Orbán, and has clashed frequently with the EU over rule-of-law issues.
Speaking directly after Orbán, Netanyahu—who has strongly denied the ICC’s accusations of war crimes—praised Budapest’s decision. “You’ve just taken a bold and principled position on the ICC, and I thank you, Viktor,” he said.
Netanyahu slammed the ICC as “a corrupt organization” that he claimed had unfairly targeted Israel for “fighting a just war with just means.”
Hungary is the first of the EU’s member states to withdraw from the ICC. However, Netanyahu expressed hope that others would soon follow.
Earlier, Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, also voiced his support for Hungary. Writing on X, Sa’ar said: “The so-called International Criminal Court lost its moral authority after trampling the fundamental principles of international law in its zest for harming Israel's right to self-defense.”
He added: “Thank you, Viktor Orbán and thank you Hungary for your clear and strong moral stance alongside Israel and the principles of justice and sovereignty.”
Israel, like the U.S., Russia and China, is not a member of the ICC, a body billed as the first permanent and treaty-based international criminal court.
Rights groups slam Hungary
With the withdrawal process forecast to take a year, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told reporters that Hungary was still expected to fulfill its obligations to the court during that time.
Netanyahu’s visit has been heavily criticized by human rights groups, as has Hungary’s invitation to the Israeli prime minister.
“Allowing Netanyahu’s visit in breach of Hungary's ICC obligations would be Orbán's latest assault on the rule of law, adding to the country’s dismal record on rights,” said Liz Evenson of Human Rights Watch ahead of the Israeli premier’s trip to Budapest.
“All ICC member countries need to make clear they expect Hungary to abide by its obligations to the court, and that they will do the same,” she added.
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