Hungary reverses ICC withdrawal

Péter Magyar said on May 23 that Hungary was withdrawing its intention to leave the International Criminal Court, reversing the course set by Viktor Orbán’s government and keeping the court’s warrants enforceable on Hungarian territory. In the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said the agency was ready to enforce any additional ICC arrest warrants tied to the court’s drug-war investigation. The two developments came from different cases and different regions, but both showed the court still has governments and police agencies willing to act on its orders. The ICC’s authority remains disputed by some national leaders, yet its warrants continue to shape legal and political decisions. ### Why did Hungary’s move matter immediately? Péter Magyar wrote on X on Friday that his government was withdrawing Hungary’s intention to leave the ICC, according to reports by Yahoo News citing Magyar and by The Jerusalem Post. That reversed a withdrawal plan announced under Orbán after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Budapest in April 2025. The practical effect is straightforward: Hungary remains bound by ICC obligations as a member state. The Jerusalem Post reported that warrants for Israeli officials therefore remain in place on Hungarian territory, and Politico reported last month that Magyar had said Hungary would have to detain Netanyahu if he entered the country while wanted by the court. ### Which Israeli officials are affected? (yahoo.com) The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to Politico and other reports surfaced in recent coverage of Hungary’s decision. Hungary’s reversal means those warrants are no longer insulated by a pending Hungarian exit from the court. (jpost.com) Netanyahu’s April 2025 trip to Budapest had become a focal point in the earlier dispute over Hungary’s ICC obligations. Times of Israel reported that Orbán rejected the warrants during that visit and announced Hungary’s withdrawal from the court at the time. ### What is happening in the Philippines? Melvin Matibag said on May 23 that the NBI had information indicating that “several” more individuals could soon face ICC arrest warrants in the Philippines. (politico.eu) ABS-CBN, GMA News and other Philippine outlets reported that Matibag said the bureau was prepared to enforce and serve any additional warrants that emerged. (timesofisrael.com) Matibag’s comments came as the ICC case tied to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign continued to widen. The Diplomat reported this week that the Philippine Supreme Court had rejected a fugitive senator’s challenge to an ICC arrest warrant, clearing the way for arrest in that case. ### Was the warrant against Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa real? (abs-cbn.com) The ICC confirmed on May 11 that the arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was a formal court document, according to Rappler, the Philippine News Agency and other local reports. Rappler reported that the court said Pre-Trial Chamber I had unsealed the warrant and classified it as public on May 11. (thediplomat.com) BusinessMirror reported that the warrant had originally been issued under seal on Nov. 6, 2025, and accused dela Rosa of acting as an indirect co-perpetrator in killings linked to the drug war. That account matched the broader confirmation from the ICC that the document circulating publicly was genuine. ### What do these two cases show about the court right now? (rappler.com) Hungary and the Philippines illustrated two different pressure points for the ICC on May 23: one government reaffirmed membership, and one national investigative agency said it was ready to make more arrests. Neither step resolved the political arguments around the court, but both pointed to continued operational reach in cases involving Israeli leaders and Philippine officials. That is an inference from the reported actions by Budapest and Manila, rather than a statement made by either government. (businessmirror.com.ph) The next concrete tests are likely to be travel and service of warrants. Any future visit by Netanyahu or another ICC-wanted Israeli official to Hungary would raise an immediate enforcement question, while any new warrants transmitted to Manila would put Matibag’s pledge into practice. (politico.eu) (yahoo.com)