European country dramatically quits ICC as furious EU civil war erupts (2025)

Orban (Image: Getty)

Hungary has withdrawn from the International Criminal Court as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to visit the country. The move was announced by Gergely Gulyas, a senior official in the Hungarian government. It represents a breakaway from the European Union as all other member states are signed up to the court. “Hungary will withdraw from the International Criminal Court,” Gergely Gulyas, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff wrote in a brief statement.

He added: “The government will initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday, in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework.” The decision was declared as the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, arrived in Budapest. There is currently an international arrest warrant against him over his conduct during the war in the Gaza Strip. Mr Orban invited Mr Netanyahu to Hungary in November after the ICC, which is based in the Hague in the Netherlands, accused him of crimes against humanity.

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Viktor Orban is hosting Benjamin Netanyahu (Image: Getty)

The Hungarian PM, a close Netanyahu ally, called the arrest warrant “outrageously impudent” and “cynical”.

ICC member countries are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil.

Although, the court has not got a mechanism it can use to enforce this, relies on states to comply with its rulings.

After Labour won the General Election last year, Sir Keir Starmer dropped the UK's objection to the ICC's arrest warrant.

This was understood to have been in the face of opposition to doing so from the US.

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Keir Starmer dropped the UK's challenge to the arrest warrant last year (Image: Getty)

The Prime Minister’s deputy official spokesperson said at the time: “On the submission, this was a proposal by the previous government that was not submitted before the election.

"I can confirm the Government will not be pursuing that in line with our longstanding position that this is a matter for the court to decide on.

“The government feels very strongly about the rule of law internationally and domestically, and the separation of powers, and I would note the courts have already received a number of submissions on either side and they are well seized of the arguments to make their determination.”