Budapest, MINA – Amnesty International strongly condemned Hungary’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, calling it a “betrayal of all victims of war crimes.”
In a statement, Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, emphasized that leaders and officials from ICC member states should not undermine the Court by meeting with individuals like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is a fugitive wanted by the ICC, Anadolu Agency reported.
The announcement of Hungary’s withdrawal came shortly after Netanyahu’s arrival in Budapest for a four-day visit.
Gergely Gulyas, the chief of staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orban, confirmed that the process of exiting the Hague-based Court would begin immediately.
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Callamard accused Hungary of endorsing Israel’s actions in Gaza, describing it as a “seal of approval to Israel’s genocide” against the Palestinian people.
She further stated that Hungary’s move to withdraw from the ICC was a “brazen and futile attempt to evade international justice.”
Callamard also criticized Orban for “harboring a wanted ICC fugitive” by welcoming Netanyahu, whose arrest warrant was issued by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Amnesty urged the EU and ICC member states to pressure Hungary to arrest Netanyahu and surrender him to the ICC.
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The decision to leave the ICC, according to Amnesty, not only undermines international justice but also strips Hungarian citizens of the right to seek justice for crimes committed against them by withdrawing their access to the Court.
Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary is his first to Europe since the ICC issued the arrest warrant against him and former Defense. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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