No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) welcomes Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s announcement that Hungary will seek to withdraw from the Rome Statute and strongly condemns Hungary’s flagrant breach of its obligations under international law, following its decision to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in open defiance of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). If a state cannot comply with the basic requirements of cooperation—such as arresting fugitives—it should not enjoy the privileges of being a State Party.
On 3 April 2025, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán welcomed Prime Minister Netanyahu in Budapest, disregarding the ICC’s arrest warrant issued on 21 November 2024 in connection with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare and the deliberate creation of conditions intended to destroy part of the civilian population in Gaza. Rather than fulfilling its obligations under international law, Hungary chose to defy the global justice system.
In an unsurprising but revealing move, Prime Minister Orbán subsequently declared Hungary’s intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute. Withdrawal under Article 127 of the Rome Statute, does not absolve Hungary of its obligations to the Court for cases already under investigation. The announcement underscores Hungary’s rejection of its responsibility to uphold international justice and its willingness to prioritise political convenience over the rule of law.
NPWJ sees Hungary’s withdrawal as an opportunity to reinforce the ICC’s integrity. As much as NPWJ campaigns for universality, there is no place among the State Parties for governments that openly ignore and defy their fundamental obligations. If a government refuses to uphold international justice, it should not be allowed to remain within the system solely to erode it from the inside.
Other countries that are either unwilling or unable to fulfill their most fundamental cooperation obligations under the Rome Statute should follow suit, rather than obfuscating or evading responsibility. A State must either be committed to the system or have the coherence to clearly abandon it, and with it any pretence to abide by international law – if you cannot meet your basic duties as a State Party, it would be best to part ways for now.
Prime Minister Orbán follows in the footsteps of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who withdrew his country from the Rome Statute in 2019—only to find himself transferred to The Hague a few years later to answer charges of crimes against humanity. Withdrawal does not erase international obligations, nor does it shield those responsible for violations from accountability.
For now, NPWJ bids farewell to Hungary’s ICC membership, without a shred of regret. Under the current circumstances, Hungary’s departure is not a loss for international justice but rather an opportunity to rid the system of those who would rather erode it from within than uphold its principles. History has shown that justice has a long memory. Just as former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ultimately found himself in The Hague despite his country’s withdrawal, we trust that accountability will eventually catch up with all those who believe they can outrun it. We also look forward to the day when Hungary reclaims its place among responsible nations and rejoins the ICC with a renewed commitment to justice. Until then, we stand in solidarity with the Hungarian people, who deserve a government that respects the rule of law rather than undermines it.
The EU and its Member States must take a firm stand against this retreat from justice and ensure that Hungary’s disregard for the rule of law does not go unanswered.
For further information, please contact Alison Smith at asmith@npwj.org or Nicola Giovannini at ngiovannini@npwj.org
