ICC Formally Charges Ex-Philippine President Duterte with Crimes Against Humanity

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been officially charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with three counts of crimes against humanity. The charges, detailed in an ICC document published recently, allege Duterte’s role as an ‘indirect co-perpetrator’ in the murders of at least 76 individuals during his controversial ‘war on drugs’ campaign.

Duterte, 80, has been held in an ICC detention facility in the Netherlands since his arrest in Manila on March 11. The charge sheet, dated from early July, outlines his alleged individual criminal responsibility for deaths spanning from 2013 to 2018, encompassing his time as Davao City mayor and later as president.

The charges include 19 murders between 2013 and 2016 in Davao City, 14 killings of ‘high-value’ targets as president in 2016-2017, and 43 murders during ‘clearance’ operations against lower-level alleged criminals from 2016 to 2018. These killings were reportedly carried out by police and non-state actors.

Duterte’s scheduled appearance before the ICC later this month has been delayed as the court assesses his fitness to stand trial, following his lawyer’s claims of ‘cognitive impairment’. The former president maintains his arrest was unlawful, while his supporters in the Philippines allege political motivations behind his detention.

阅读中文版 (Read Chinese Version)

Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.