Hungarian MPs vote to remain member of ICC, overturning decision made by Orbán

Lawmakers in Hungary have voted overwhelmingly for the country to remain a member of the international criminal court, reversing a decision made by the previous government of Viktor Orbán . Wednesday’s vote came days before the country was poised to become the only EU member state not to recognise the jurisdiction of the global tribunal, which aims to prosecute those accused of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. In April last year, Orbán announced that Hungary would begin the process of pulling out of what he decried as a “political court”. He made the comments while hosting his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime ally and the subject of an ICC arrest warrant, in Budapest. After Péter Magyar was elected as prime minister in a landslide victory last month, the new leaderrepeatedly vowed that his government would reverse the withdrawal before it took effect on 2 June. On Monday, Magyar’s government submitted a bill to the parliament, setting in motion a fast-tracked procedure that resulted in 133 of the 199 lawmakers voting to back the bill. The legislation must now be signed into law by the president, Tamás Sulyok, an Orbán-era appointee whom Magyar has repeatedly called on to resign. Earlier this week, the ICC’s legislative body hailed Hungary’s plan to reverse the withdrawal, describing it as “essential” to ensuring accountability for the world’s gravest crimes. The U-turn marks a bright moment for the beleaguered institution. …