Hungary to Withdraw from International Criminal Court

Hungary's parliament has approved a bill to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), becoming the third country to do so after Burundi and the Philippines. The bill passed with 134 votes in favor, 37 against, and seven abstentions, and the withdrawal will become official one year after the UN is notified. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government strongly supported the move, criticizing the ICC's arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others for alleged war crimes in Gaza as politically motivated. The decision was announced during Netanyahu's first European trip since 2023, which occurred despite the ICC warrant against him. Hungarian officials claim the ICC has lost its impartiality and credibility, marking a growing divergence from mainstream European views. The United States, Russia, Israel, China, and Myanmar are among the other countries that are not ICC members.