HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT SUSPENDS ICC WITHDRAWAL PROCESS

BUDAPEST, MAY 27 /SRNA/ - The Hungarian Parliament has adopted a decision to repeal the law that initiated the process of Hungary's withdrawal from the International Criminal Court /ICC/.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced the legislative step on Friday, May 22, and has now been given the authority to formally withdraw Hungary's request to withdraw from the ICC, which was submitted by his predecessor Viktor Orbán.

The motion was voted in favor by a majority of 133 deputies from Hungary's Tisza party, with 37 against and five abstentions, according to a statement on the parliament's website.

The ICC was founded in 2002 and is based in The Hague.

Orbán, whose Fidesz party lost the April election, filed a request to withdraw from the ICC almost a year ago after parliament passed a relevant motion. The withdrawal was due to take effect early next month.

Orbán has maintained good relations with politicians who are under ICC arrest warrants, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the DPA agency recalls.

Netanyahu visited Budapest at Orbán's invitation in April last year, when Orban first announced his intention to withdraw Hungary from the ICC.

Back then, Orbán made it clear that he would ignore an arrest warrant issued by the ICC in connection with alleged war crimes committed by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip.