An International Criminal Court judge wants Hungary to explain why he failed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited Budapest earlier this month.
In a filing released late Wednesday, the Hague-based court has launched a non-compliance lawsuit against Hungary after welcoming a red carpet to Netanyahu despite an ICC’s arrest warrant for crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza.
During the visit, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban announced that his country would leave the court, claiming that the ICC “is no longer a fair court, not a court, but a political court.”
The Hungarian leader, dictator by critics and considered by the EU’s most unorthodox spoilers in the bloc’s decision, defended his decision not to arrest Netanyahu.
“We signed an international treaty, but we never took all the steps that would have made it enforceable in Hungary,” Ovan said, noting the fact that Hungarian Parliament never promulgated court laws in Hungarian law.
ICC judges have previously dismissed similar arguments.
The ICC and other international organizations have criticised Hungary’s rebellion against a warrant against Netanyahu.
A few days before his arrival, the president of the court’s supervisory body wrote to the Hungarian government, reminding him of his “specific obligation to comply with the court’s request for arrest and surrender.”
An ICC spokesman declined to comment on the non-compliance lawsuit.
Hungary’s decision to leave the ICC is a process that will complete a process that takes at least a year, making it the only unsigned within the 27-member European Union.
In the current 125 signatory countries, only the Philippines and Burundi have withdrawn from the courts, as Hungary intends.
This is the third time in the past year that a court has investigated one of its member states for not arresting a suspect.
In February, the judge asked Italy to explain why the state sent Libyans suspected of torture and murdering Italian soldiers, rather than handing him over to the court.
In October, the judge reported Mongolia to the court’s supervisory body for failing to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin when he visited the country.
Hungary will need to provide evidence of defence until May 23rd.
