Brussels warns Orbán over Netanyahu visit: it's your duty to comply with ICC warrants

Ignoring an arrest warrant by the ICC would breach international obligations and damage Hungary's reputation, Věra Jourová told Euronews.

Transcript

00:00In relation to the arrest warrant of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Vice President

00:05of the European Commission Vera Zorova has said that each EU member state is bound by

00:10international law and the laws of international institutions.

00:15Speaking in the Euronews' program The Europe Conversation, she reacted to the announcement

00:19by Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban who said he would invite Netanyahu to Budapest.

00:26All politicians are aware of their international commitments.

00:32Hungary is the signatory, is the party to the International Court of Justice, or criminal

00:42court to be precise.

00:45So there is a rule, and it's based in the international law, that the parties have to

00:52respect the decisions of the court.

00:55So it's a bounding decision of the International Criminal Court to everyone who is the signatory,

01:01including Hungary.

01:02And if they don't, if they invite an alleged war criminal to their country when they're

01:07supposed to actually arrest them, what does that mean for international justice?

01:12It will be an obvious breach of the agreement.

01:15And what is that?

01:16Do you think there should be some repercussions for that?

01:19I cannot tell you a precise answer regarding the procedure, but every time a country breaches

01:29its commitments in these international institutions, it's always the moment which is damaging the

01:38reputation of such a country.