Vicktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary has announced his government will commence pull out processes from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Orban who on Thursday played hos to Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu who is in Budapest on a State Visit, stated that withdrawal for the ICC was the right thing to do in the face of credibility crisis facing the court.
The ICC in November 2024 slammed an international arrest warrant on the Israeli Prime Minister and his former defence chief, but Orban, a one of the leading right-wing leaders in Europe dismissed the warrant saying that the court’s decision was “brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable.”
Orban immediately invited Netanyahu to Budapest to demonstrate Hungary’s defiance to the court’s decision. The Hungarian leader in a post on X had stated that, “It’s time for Hungary to review what we’re doing in an international organization that is under U.S. sanctions.” His position followed President Trump’s dismissal of the leadership of the court as lacking integrity. President Trump had also imposed sanctions on the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan.
Though a founding member of the ICC, Hungary has however. Not domesticated the ICC law that would have mandated the country’s authorities to arrest the Israeli Prime Minister.
Gergely Gulyas, Orban’s Chief of Staff had told Reuters in November that although Hungary ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC, it “was never made part of Hungarian law”, meaning that no measure of the court can be carried out within Hungary.
The ICC law stipulates a yearlong process for members who intend pulling out from the organisation. The government of Hungary according to news reports, has already perfected plans to immediately initiate the process and summit same to the Hungarian parliament for ratification.
The Israel/ Hamas was has claimed over 50, 000 lives with the most part of the Gaza strip already devastated.
On October 7, 2023, killed Hamas attacked Israel, killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 others which provoked Israel to declare a full blown war on Hamas and its allies, Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Reuters.