The government of Hungary has decided to withdraw from the Rome Statute, which underlies the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday (3).
The decision takes place shortly after Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, sought by a TPI arrest warrant, arrived at the country for a state visit.
The right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban invited the Israeli to Budapest in November, a day after the TPI issued his arrest warrant for war crime allegations in Gaza, where Israel released his offensive after an attack of Hamas-led combatants.
Israel rejected the accusations, claiming that they are politically motivated and fueled by anti -Semitism. The country states that the court has lost all legitimacy by issuing warrants against a democratically elected leader of a country who exercises the right to self -defense.
As a founding member of the ICC, Hungary is theoretically forced to arrest and deliver anyone subject to a court warrant, but Orban made it clear that Hungary would not respect the decision he called “blatant, cynical and completely unacceptable.”
Hungary signed the TPI foundation document in 1999 and ratified it in 2001, but the law was not promulgated.
Gergely Gulyas, Orban’s chief of staff, said in November that although Hungary has ratified the Rome Statute of the TPI, he “was never included in Hungarian law,” which means no court measurement can be executed in Hungary.
On Thursday, Gulyas told state news agency MTI that the government would start the withdrawal process at the end of the day.
Orban raised the possibility of departure from Hungary from the ICC after US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on court prosecutor Karim Khan in February.
“It’s time for Hungary to review what we are doing in an international organization that is under US sanctions”
Viktor Orban, Hungarian Prime Minister, in Posting at X in February
The bill on the beginning of the process of a year of withdrawal of the ICC will be approved by the Hungarian Parliament, dominated by the Fidesz Party of Orban.
Netanyahu has enjoyed strong support throughout Orban’s years, an important ally who has been ready to block statements or actions criticism of Israel in the past.
TPI judges said when they issued the warrant that there was reasonable reasons to believe that Netanyahu and their former defense chief were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and hunger as a weapon of war as part of a “widespread and systematic attack on Gaza’s civilian population.”
The Israeli campaign killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, and devastated the Gaza Strip.
The attack led by Hamas to Israel on October 7, 2023 killed 1,200 people and made more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli counts.
The ICC also issued an arrest warrant against a Hamas leader in November. His death was confirmed after the issuance of the warrant.
This content was originally published amid Netanyahu’s visit, Hungary claims to be withdrawing from the TPI on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil

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