ICC judges confirm charges, sending Duterte to trial
Rodrigo Duterte is set to stand trial at the International Criminal Court after judges cleared the way for proceedings over crimes against humanity tied to his so-called "war on drugs."
Rodrigo Duterte is set to stand trial at the International Criminal Court after judges cleared the way for proceedings over crimes against humanity tied to his so-called “war on drugs.”
In a statement, the ICC said pre-trial judges had “unanimously confirmed all the charges… against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and committed him to trial.”
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The case marks a first for the court: Mr Duterte will become the first former Asian head of state to go on trial before the ICC, which is tasked with prosecuting individuals accused of the gravest offences, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The decision comes at a fraught moment for the 24-year-old tribunal, which is navigating one of the toughest periods in its history after the United States imposed sanctions on senior judges and officials following the ICC’s arrest warrants for Israel’s leader over the Gaza war.
Lawyers for Duterte have argued that the 81-year-old is not mentally fit enough to take part in proceedings, and he did not attend a week of hearings held to determine whether the charges should move forward.
Since his arrest, he has appeared only once — during an initial hearing by video link — where he looked weary and disoriented, with his voice barely audible.
According to the ICC statement, pre-trial judges found “substantial grounds to believe that Duterte is responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder.”