Hungary announces decision to exit International Criminal Court

ATHENS

Hungary on Thursday announced that it has decided to exit the International Criminal Court.

According to the decision, announced by Premier Viktor Orban’s Chief of Staff Gergely Gulyas, the withdrawal process from The Hague-based court will start today.

The decision is in line with the country's constitutional and international legal obligations, he argued.

The news follows the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the country for a four-day official visit.

Netanyahu's visit to Hungary marks the first time he has set foot on European soil since the ICC issued an arrest warrant for him last November over accusations of war crimes in Gaza.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have called on Hungary to arrest Netanyahu if he travels to the country and hand him over to the ICC. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Last November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military actions in Gaza, where it has killed more than 50,400 people since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Palestinian group Hamas.