Hungary to exit International Criminal Court amid Netanyahu visit

The Hungarian government has decided to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move announced by the head of the prime minister's office, Gergely Gulyas. According to "Politico," the procedure for withdrawing from this institution is set to start on Thursday. This decision was made public on the day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Budapest, for whom the ICC has issued an arrest warrant.

"The government will initiate the termination procedure on Thursday, in accordance with the constitutional and international legal frameworks," Gulyas informed in an interview with the news agency MTI, referring to the founding document of the ICC, the Rome Statute.

A few hours before the announcement of Hungary's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the country ruled by Viktor Orban on an official state visit. The Israeli Prime Minister is pursued by the ICC on charges of war crimes in Gaza. Orban has repeatedly declared that Netanyahu can feel safe in Hungary, as the country has not implemented the Rome Statute, which was deemed unconstitutional.

The first reports that Hungary would withdraw from the ICC appeared in February. At that time, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that Hungary "will reassess its participation in this institution." Szijjarto added that, in his opinion, this institution is "politicized."

The procedure for Hungary's withdrawal from the ICC will unfold as follows: first, a bill will be submitted to parliament. If it gains majority support, the formal procedure for withdrawal from the Tribunal conducted by the Hungarian government will begin. The entire process could take a year.

Donald Trump also imposed sanctions not only on the Tribunal itself but also on individuals who are helping this institution pursue legal actions against Americans, along with officials from Israel and other allied nations of the United States.