PNN – In an unprecedented response, the European Union criticized Hungary’s disregard for the International Criminal Court’s order to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and emphasized the unconditional implementation of the Hague court’s rulings, calling on all member states to adhere to their international obligations.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Anita Hipper, the European Commission’s chief spokesperson, said at the institution’s daily press conference in Brussels, in response to a reporter’s question about the possible visit of the Israeli Prime Minister to Budapest and the Hungarian government’s defiance of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant: Our position on the International Criminal Court is very clear. The European Union supports the International Criminal Court and the principles enshrined in the Rome Statute. We also respect the independence and impartiality of this institution and are strongly committed to international criminal justice and the fight against impunity.
Referring to the Council of Europe statement, he added: We call on all countries to cooperate fully with the Court, including through the prompt execution of arrest warrants.
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Responding to a question about reports of Hungary’s possible decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, Hipper stated: We have not been informed of such an official decision from Hungary, but we would obviously deeply regret it if it were to happen.
He recalled that, according to Article 127 of the Rome Statute, withdrawal from the Court is possible only by formal written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and this withdrawal will not take effect until one year after the formal notification. The European Commission spokesperson emphasized: The possible withdrawal of a State from the Court does not cancel that State’s ongoing obligations to cooperate with the Court in judicial proceedings.
Netanyahu is accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. If he enters the territory of a state party to the ICC, he should be arrested and handed over to the court, said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s head of global research and policy, in a statement. Hungary’s invitation to Netanyahu is a clear disregard for international justice and an insult to the victims of the crimes in Gaza.
Despite these protests, the Hungarian government has threatened to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, claiming that the court’s rulings are political and interventionist. In response, a spokesperson for the International Criminal Court has clarified that member states cannot unilaterally question the court’s legal jurisdiction.
According to the Rome Statute, states that are members of the ICC are obligated to execute arrest warrants issued by it, and any violation of these obligations can lead to legal proceedings within the court’s supervisory framework.