Victims lose out as Hungary withdraws from the ICC Rome Statute: A major blow to fight against impunity
On 2 June 2025, the Hungarian government notified the United Nations Secretary-General of its withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the world’s only permanent court for the prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The withdrawal will take effect one year later, on 2 June 2026, in accordance with Article 127 of the Statute.
The Coalition for the International Criminal Court denounces this decision in the strongest possible terms.
Hungary’s exit from the Rome Statute strikes at the heart of the global fight against impunity. It is not only a regressive political move but a direct affront to victims of the gravest crimes worldwide. By turning its back on the ICC, Hungary withdraws protection from its own citizens and undermines the rights of victims globally who rely on the ICC as a court of last resort: when domestic courts are unable or unwilling to act, the Rome Statute system offers victims a path to truth, accountability, and reparation. Hungary’s retreat narrows that path, especially for those with no other recourse.
The Coalition urges Hungary to reconsider and rescind its withdrawal from the Rome Statute, and to rejoin the community of states committed to justice and the fight against impunity. Turning away from the ICC does not protect national interests, but instead abandons victims of serious crimes.
A political move with far-reaching consequences
The President of the Assembly of States Parties, Päivi Kaukoranta, expressed her deep regret over Hungary’s withdrawal and stressed the hope that this decision will not mark a permanent departure, “but just a brief pause to its commitment to international justice, and that it will return to the community of States Parties in due course. Achieving universal acceptance of the Rome Statute is crucial to advancing our united goal of ensuring justice for grave crimes and upholding the rule of law.”
Hungary joins a very small group, Burundi and the Republic of the Philippines, that have withdrawn from the ICC. But unlike its predecessors, Hungary is a member of the European Union, which has “long been [a] strong advocate for the ICC and have made legally binding commitments to promote the universality and integrity of the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty,” stated Human Rights Watch. As recalled by the Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights, Alexis Deswaef: “ratification of the Rome Statute is one of the many conditions for joining the European Union. How can Hungary still be part of the EU after this withdrawal from the ICC? The EU must react firmly, by calling on Hungary to respect the common commitments.”
“Hungary’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute must be seen in the broader context of democratic backsliding and sustained attacks on the rule of law. Hungary’s exit from the ICC should serve as a wake-up call – not just for the EU, but for the entire international community. Impunity is a direct threat to democracy itself,” stresses Ms. Tineke Strik, Member of the European Parliament (the Netherlands) and member of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA). The withdrawal sends a chilling message to victims and civil society actors not only in Hungary, but across the region. It emboldens those who commit atrocity crimes to believe they can do so with impunity, and discourages states from standing firm for human rights, accountability, and multilateral cooperation.
The Coalition for the ICC therefore calls on Hungary to reconsider its actions, and to follow the responsible example set by The Gambia and South Africa, both of which rescinded their withdrawals from the Rome Statute before they took effect. Turning away from accountability should not be an option. States can, and must, choose to stand on the right side of history.
Withdrawal does not absolve responsibility
As Amnesty International has warned, this withdrawal is “a brazen and futile attempt to evade international justice and to stymy the ICC’s work. [...] Any withdrawal would take effect in one year and must not distract from Hungary’s international legal obligations.”
It must be clearly stated: Hungary remains legally bound by the Rome Statute until 2 June 2026. This includes the obligation to cooperate with the Court, including the duty to arrest and surrender individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants, such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was welcomed in Budapest on 3 April 2025 in open defiance of Hungary’s legal obligations as an ICC State Party.
States Parties must stand firm, for the Court and for victims
The ICC is under mounting pressure from rising political intimidation, to calculated Rome Statute withdrawals aimed at eroding the Court’s authority and legitimacy. At such a moment, silence or retreat only emboldens impunity. States Parties must not only express support but demonstrate it through decisive action.
The Rome Statute system of international justice is only as strong as the political will behind it. As emphasised by the ASP President Päivi Kaukoranta: “The ICC’s ability to combat impunity depends, to a great extent, on the sustained backing from the international community.”
The Coalition for the ICC therefore calls on ICC States Parties to:
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Translate their Rome Statute obligations into concrete action by taking proactive steps to support the Court, especially in matters of cooperation, enforcement of arrest warrants, and providing the financial backing the Court needs to deliver meaningful justice in all situations.
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Publicly reaffirm their unwavering support for the ICC and condemn any efforts to undermine the Court’s independence or obstruct its work.
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Urge Hungary to rescind its withdrawal from the Rome Statute, reaffirm its support for the International Criminal Court, and uphold the right of victims to access justice by rejoining the community of States Parties committed to ending impunity.
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Adopt and enforce national or regional blocking statutes, such as the EU blocking statute, to protect the Court and its partners from the effects of extraterritorial sanctions and external pressure.
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Establish legal and institutional frameworks to protect Hungarian and global civil society actors and human rights defenders who support the ICC and promote justice for victims.
This withdrawal carries real consequences: it strips victims of a vital path to redress and weakens a global system built to uphold accountability when national systems fail. Justice for the gravest crimes must not be sacrificed to political calculations.
Hungary can and must reverse course.
Further resources:
- Parliamentarians for Global Action. Hungary’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute is a threat to justice (6 June 2025)
- President of the Assembly of States Parties regrets withdrawal from the Rome Statute by Hungary (5 June 2025)
- Human Rights Watch (HRW). Open letter to EU Ministers: EU must take concrete action against Hungary’s continued defiance of human rights and rule of law (26 May 2025)
- The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). Hungary’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court: Orbàn must face consequences (4 April 2025)
- Amnesty International. Hungary: Withdrawal of country from ICC 'a betrayal of all victims of war crimes' (3 April 2025)
- Amnesty International. Hungary: Withdrawal from ICC does not absolve Hungary of its legal obligation to arrest fugitive Benjamin Netanyahu (3 April 2025)
- Coalition for the ICC. Oppose Sanctions Against the International Criminal Court, Safeguard Victims’ Access to Justice (14 January 2025)
- Coalition for the ICC. The time is now, the Coalition for the ICC urges ICC States Parties to defend the Court’s independence against threats and sanctions (6 December 2024)
