hungary to Withdraw from International Criminal court in 2026
HungaryS withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) will take effect on June 2, 2026, following formal notification to the United Nations by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government. this makes Hungary the first european Union member state to leave the ICC since its founding in 2002.
The decision stems from Budapest’s accusation that the Hague-based court is politically motivated.Despite the withdrawal, hungary will remain obligated to fulfill its duties under the Rome Statute – including arresting individuals subject to ICC warrants, such as Russian President Vladimir putin – until the withdrawal officially takes effect in June 2026.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023, alleging war crimes related to the unlawful deportation of children from ukraine. Russia has denied thes allegations, calling them “outrageous.”
The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties, which oversees the ICC, expressed regret over Hungary’s decision, stating it “clouds our shared quest for justice and weakens efforts to fight impunity.”
The ICC relies on member states to execute arrests, lacking an self-reliant enforcement mechanism.Past instances of non-compliance, such as South Africa’s failure to detain Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir in 2015, and recent refusals by Mongolia and Hungary to arrest Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have prompted findings of “non-cooperation” from ICC judges, though no further sanctions were imposed. Human rights observers warn that such failures to act undermine the court’s authority and may embolden those accused of international crimes.
