Hungary Says It Will Withdraw From the ICC

Hungary on Thursday said it would pull out of the International Criminal Court, in a process that could take a year or more. The news coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opulent welcome in Budapest, a trip that marked just his second foreign trip since the ICC in November issued a warrant for his arrest; his first was a February visit to the US, which is not a member of the court. Hungary is a founding member of the court, which was established in 2002, and the BBC reports it will be the first EU nation to exit. In explaining the decision, Orbán didn't mince words, criticizing the ICC as "no longer an impartial court, not a court of law, but a political court. And this was most clearly shown by the decisions regarding Israel." More:

• As a signatory, Hungary is obligated to arrest anyone who enters its borders who the ICC is seeking to arrest, though the enforcement of ICC rulings is left up to member countries, reports the AP.
• An ICC rep on Thursday reminded Hungary that it "remains under a duty to cooperate with the ICC," though Orbán indicated he wouldn't do so when he extended the invitation to Netanyahu in November, notes the BBC.
• CNN reports other EU countries have taken differing stances on the warrant, with Ireland and Spain saying they would arrest Netanyahu if he set foot on their shores; France and Germany were less explicit, questioning whether the ICC has jurisdiction over Israel since it is not an ICC member.

• The ICC accuses Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of crimes linked to the war in Gaza; the ICC also issued warrants for three Hamas leaders, who were subsequently killed.
• Netanyahu praised Hungary's decision, saying: "The ICC directs its actions against us fighting a just war with just means." Hamas condemned Hungary's "immoral" decision and called on the country to comply with the warrant.
• The New York Times reports only two countries have exited the 125-member ICC, in both cases in response to ICC investigations into their leaders: Burundi and the Philippines.