Amnesty International demands the arrest of Netanyahu during his visit to Hungary

In a press release published on March 31, Erika Guevara-Rosas, head of research, advocacy and global policies in Amnesty International, said :: “Benjamin Netanyahu is an alleged war criminal, accused of having used famine as a method of war, of having intentionally attacked civilians and committed crimes against humanity, including murders and persecution. As a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Hungary has the legal obligation to arrest it if it enters its territory and to put it back to the Court. Any displacement of Netanyahu in a member country of the ICC which does not end in its arrest would encourage Israel to continue its crimes against the Palestinians in the occupied territories.

She underlines that the reception of Netanyahu in Hungary constitutes an insult to the victims and a cynical attempt to undermine the work of the ICC. “This invitation testifies to a blatant contempt for international law and sends a worrying signal: a Member State of the European Union is ready to receive a desired leader for war crimes and crimes against humanity,” she insists.

Erika Guevara-Rosas asks European and world leaders to get out of their silence and demand that Hungary respect its international obligations by arresting Netanyahu. “Such a visit should not mark a dangerous turning point for the future of human rights in Europe,” she warns.

It recalls that the ICC was created to ensure that the most serious crimes do not remain unpunished and denounces attempts at powerful leaders to weaken international law and escape justice. Amnesty International thus calls the CPI prosecutor to pursue all the crimes committed by Israel and urges Hungary to apply the principles of universal jurisdiction. “The impunity of leaders accused of war crimes must stop,” she concludes.