ICC charges ex-Philippine President Duterte with crimes against humanity
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11 and has been held in ICC custody in the Netherlands since then, though he insists the arrest was unlawful.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally charged former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, accusing him of involvement in the killings of at least 76 people during his controversial anti-drug campaign.
According to a charge sheet released by the ICC on Monday, the alleged crimes occurred between 2013 and 2018 and were carried out by both police officers and hired gunmen.
The document, which reports indicate is heavily redacted, was drafted in early July and signed by Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang.
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The first charge targets Duterte's time as mayor of Davao City from 2013 to 2016, where he is accused as an "indirect co-perpetrator" in 19 murders.
The second and third charges relate to his presidency: 14 killings of high-profile targets in 2016–2017, and 43 murders during operations against lower-level suspects from 2016 to 2018.
"The actual scale of victimisation during the charged period was significantly greater, as reflected in the widespread nature of the attack," said the ICC prosecutors.
"The attack included thousands of killings, which were perpetrated consistently throughout the charged period."
An arrest warrant was issued against Duterte on March 7, containing a single charge of crimes against humanity relating to 43 alleged murders. He was arrested in Manila on March 11 and has been held in ICC custody in the Netherlands since then, though he insists the arrest was unlawful.
His supporters allege that his detention is politically motivated due to a falling out between his family and the current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The charges were made public weeks after the ICC postponed Duterte's hearing, which had been set for later this month.
The court must now determine whether he is medically fit to face trial, following a request from his lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, to delay proceedings indefinitely due to serious health concerns.
Kaufman has claimed that Duterte is experiencing "cognitive impairment in multiple domains."
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