ICC Welcomes Hungary's Decision Not to Withdraw from Rome Statute

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has welcomed Hungary’s decision to retract its notification regarding withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the ICC. “The International Criminal Court notes with great appreciation Hungary’s decision to withdraw its notice of withdrawal from the Rome Statute, effective immediately. The Court welcomes this important decision,” the ICC stated in a release on Monday.

The decision demonstrates Budapest’s renewed commitment to the Rome Statute and its objective to end impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, according to the statement. In 2025, the Hungarian parliament had decided to withdraw from the ICC. The Hungarian Prime Minister at the time, Viktor Orbán, stated that the decision was made because he believed the organisation had shifted from an impartial institution to a political one in recent years.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip. The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber rejected Israel’s objections regarding the court’s jurisdiction to investigate the situation in Palestine and issued warrants against its citizens.