Hungary withdraws from ICC amid Netanyahu’s visit

Hungary’s government has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), just before Prime Minister Viktor Orban received his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant. Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, posted on Facebook that Hungary will initiate the withdrawal procedure today. Earlier Orban had said his country is withdrawing because the ICC has become too politicised, citing its decisions on



Israel.

The withdrawal bill is likely to be approved by Hungary’s parliament, which is dominated by Orban’s Fidesz party. The ICC has not yet commented on Hungary’s announcement. A state’s withdrawal from the court takes effect only one year after the deposit of the withdrawal letter with the United Nations secretary-general’s office. So far, only Burundi and the Philippines have withdrawn from the court.