Anitta Hipper, spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS), said on Wednesday 2 April that the European Union “would deeply regret” any move by Hungary to withdraw from the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), while Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, who is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the ICC for acts committed by Israel in its war against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza since October 2023, is expected in Budapest on Thursday 3 April.
Ms Hipper noted that the withdrawal of a country that is party to the Rome Statute can only take effect one year after the formal request for withdrawal. She noted the EU Council’s position of 2023, which calls on all Member States to comply with the ICC’s requests.
In Council Decision 2011/168, the EU and its Member States express their determination to put an end to impunity for perpetrators of serious crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC by taking measures at a national level and by strengthening international cooperation to ensure effective prosecution. They pledge to promote universal support for the Rome Statute, to preserve the integrity of the ICC, and to ensure its independence.
See the Council’s decision: https://aeur.eu/f/g8i (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)