Human rights defenders call on Hungary to arrest Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu News
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Human rights defenders call on Hungary to arrest Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Hungarian authorities on Friday to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters Hungarian territory. He is expected to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary on March 21.

This arrest would comply with the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu on November 1, 2024, for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes carried out in the Gaza Strip. Hungary previously failed to arrest Netanyahu in April 2025, resulting in the ICC’s official finding of non-compliance.

Alice Autin, international justice researcher for HRW, highlighted the implications of Hungary’s non-compliance for Palestinians, stating:

Despite its move to leave the ICC, Hungary is still a member country and is still obligated to arrest and surrender individuals wanted by the court. By flouting this obligation…Hungary would further entrench impunity for serious crimes in Palestine and once again betray victims who have been denied justice for far too long.

HRW warns that the European Union (EU) has failed to take sufficient measures against Orbán’s policies. HRW calls on EU leadership and members to push for Hungary’s cooperation with its ongoing obligations and to reverse its ICC withdrawal.

Article 7 of the EU Treaty allows the European Parliament to initiate procedures to assess the risk that actions by a member state pose to fundamental EU values. These values include respect for human dignity, human rights, the rule of law, and justice. The European Parliament opened an Article 7 procedure in 2018. HRW says that Hungary’s decision to leave the ICC should be considered as a further risk factor in this assessment. Further, other measures could be taken, such as initiating proceedings to find that Hungary has infringed EU law.

Otherwise, Autin stresses the risks of the EU’s failure to act:

Orbán’s government is about the roll out the red carpet again for Netanyahu, when it is obligated to arrest him. Silence and persistent inaction from the EU risks sending a dangerous message of acquiescence as the Israeli government continues to be responsible for atrocities.

During Netanyahu’s 2025 visit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced his plans to withdraw from the ICC and reaffirmed his support of Israel. Article 127 of the Rome Statute, which founded the ICC, provides that withdrawal from the court takes effect one year after written notification to the UN Secretary-General. Hungary’s formal notification took place on June 2, 2025.

Orbán is a criticized leader. He came to power in 2010 and has since restructured Hungary’s legal and election systems to ensure he remains in office. He has imposed increasingly restrictive measures on freedom of the press and civil society. His policies have also discriminated against LGBTQ+ people and undermined the rights of women and girls. According to HRW, Orbán has effectively sidestepped Parliament to rule unchecked by declaring states of danger or emergency.

This issue takes place against the backdrop of ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran, condemned by the UN human rights chief, and increased Israeli strikes on residential buildings in Lebanon, which the UN says may constitute war crimes.

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