The judges of the International Criminal Court want Hungary to explain why she did not arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited Budapest earlier this month.
In a file published late Wednesday Wednesday, the Hague-based court initiated the non-compliance procedure against Hungary after the country welcomed Netanyahu a welcome to the red carpet despite a CPI arrest warrant for crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza.
During the visit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that his country would leave the court, affirming to local radio that the ICC was “no longer a impartial court, not a law of law, but a political court”.
The Hungarian chief, considered by criticism as an autocrat and the most intransigent spoiler in the EU in the decision -making of the block, defended his decision not to stop Netanyahu.
“We have signed an international treaty, but we have never taken all the measures that would have otherwise made enforceable in Hungary,” said Orbán, referring to the fact that the Parliament of Hungary has never promulgated the status of the court in Hungarian law.
CPI judges previously rejected similar arguments.
The ICC and other international organizations have criticized the challenge of Hungary against the mandate against Netanyahu.
A few days before his arrival, the president of the court supervisory organization wrote to the government in Hungary reminding him of his “specific obligation to comply with the requests of the Court for Arrest and Abandonment”.
A CPI spokesperson refused to comment on the non-compliance procedure.
Hungary's decision to leave the ICC, a process that will take at least a year, will make it the sole non-signatory of the European Union of 27 members.
With 125 current signatory countries, only the Philippines and Burundi have ever withdrew from the court as the intention of Hungary.
This is the third time in the past year that the court has investigated one of its member states for omitting the suspects.
In February, the judges asked Italy to explain why the country sent a Libyan man suspected of torture and murder to an Italian military plane rather than put him back to court.
While in October, the judges reported that Mongolia to the surveillance organization of the Court did not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the country.
Hungary has until May 23 to submit evidence in its defense.
