Hungary will withdraw from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court

Hungary will withdraw from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which it joined in 2001.

This announcement was made on April 3 by Gergely Gulyás, Chief of Staff to the Hungarian Prime Minister.

“Hungary is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court. On Thursday (April 3), the government will begin the withdrawal process in accordance with constitutional norms and international law,” Gulyás wrote on Facebook.

Budapest made the announcement amid the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hungary. Netanyahu is currently the subject of an ICC arrest warrant related to Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán previously condemned the warrant and promised to invite Netanyahu to Budapest, openly ignoring the Hague’s demand.

On April 1, Hungarian Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported, citing Hungarian Justice Minister Bence Tuzson, that Budapest had already notified foreign diplomats of its intent to leave the ICC. According to journalists, the entire withdrawal process could take up to a year.

Hungary signed the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC, in 2001.