Hungarian lawmakers approve bill to quit ICC in support of Israel

Hungary’s parliament today approved a bill that will start the country’s year-long withdrawal process from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government said has become “political”, Reuters reports.

Orban’s government announced the move on 3 April, shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Hungary for a state visit in defiance of an ICC arrest warrant. The ICC’s Presidency of the Assembly of State Parties expressed concern at the move.

The International Criminal Court was set up more than two decades ago to prosecute those accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Orban last month said the ICC was “no longer an impartial court, a rule-of-law court, but rather a political court.”

Hungary has rejected the idea of arresting the Israeli prime minister and has called the warrant “brazen”.

Hungary is a founding member of the ICC and ratified its founding document in 2001. However, the law has not been promulgated.

The bill to withdraw from the ICC passed with 134 members voting in favour and 37 against.

“Hungary firmly rejects the use of international organisations – in particular criminal courts – as instruments of political influence,” the bill, submitted by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen, said on parliament’s website.

Netanyahu called Hungary’s decision to leave the ICC a “bold and principled decision”.

The Israeli prime minister faces an ICC arrest warrant over allegations of war crimes in Gaza as Israel expands its military operation in the Palestinian enclave. Netanyahu has denied the allegations.

A country’s withdrawal from the ICC comes into effect one year after the United Nations secretary-general receives a written notification of the decision.