Ex-Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte charged with crimes against humanity
What's the story
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been charged with three counts of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The charges are linked to his controversial "war on drugs," which allegedly resulted in thousands of deaths. The heavily redacted charge sheet, dated July 4 but made public on Monday, details the accusations against the 80-year-old former leader who is currently detained at The Hague.
Alleged crimes
Breakdown of charges against Duterte
The first charge accuses Duterte of being a co-perpetrator in 19 murders between 2013 and 2016, when he was mayor of Davao City. The second charge pertains to 14 murders of "high value targets" during his presidency from 2016 to 2017. The third charge involves 43 murders committed during "clearance" operations across the Philippines from 2016 to 2018.
Prosecution claims
ICC prosecutors say actual scale of victimization was larger
ICC prosecutors have claimed that the actual scale of victimization was much larger than what was charged, citing the widespread nature of the attack. "The attack included thousands of killings, which were perpetrated consistently throughout the charged period," the prosecutors alleged. The charges against Duterte stem from his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers, which rights groups say killed thousands without trial.
Legal proceedings
Arrest warrant issued for Duterte in March
An arrest warrant was issued for Duterte on March 7, with one charge of crimes against humanity relating to 43 alleged murders. He was arrested in Manila on March 11 and flown to The Hague that night. Since then, he has been held at the ICC's detention unit at Scheveningen prison. At his initial hearing, Duterte appeared dazed and frail via video link and spoke little.
Defense plea
Duterte 1st Asian leader indicted by ICC
Duterte's lawyer Nicholas Kaufman has said his client is unable to stand trial due to cognitive impairment in multiple domains. Kaufman has asked the ICC to postpone proceedings against Duterte indefinitely. The charges against Duterte make him the first former Asian head of state indicted by the ICC and the first suspect transferred to The Hague in over three years.