Judges in The Hague will inform the previous president of the crimes in opposition to humanity he’s accused of getting dedicated.
The Philippines’ former President Rodrigo Duterte will make a primary look on the Worldwide Prison Courtroom (ICC) to face costs of crimes in opposition to humanity in The Hague over his deadly war on drugs.
“The Chamber considers it acceptable for the primary look of Mr Duterte to happen on Friday, 14 March 2025 at 14:00 hours (13:00 GMT),” the courtroom mentioned in an announcement late on Thursday.
Duterte stands accused of the crime in opposition to humanity of homicide over his years-long marketing campaign in opposition to drug customers and sellers that rights teams mentioned killed as many as 30,000 folks.
The 79-year-old former chief was turned over by the Philippines to The Hague-based courtroom on Wednesday, changing into the first-ever Asian chief to be charged earlier than the worldwide tribunal.
Through the listening to on Friday, Duterte will seem earlier than judges and be told of the crimes he’s alleged to have dedicated, in addition to his rights as a defendant.
As he landed within the Netherlands on Wednesday, the previous chief appeared to accept responsibility for his actions, saying in a Fb video: “I’ve been telling the police, the army, that it was my job and I’m accountable.”
Duterte’s swift arrest in Manila and turnover to the ICC got here amid a spectacular meltdown in relations between his household and the Marcos household, who had joined forces within the Philippines presidential elections in 2022 and gained in a landslide.
Present President Ferdinand Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte – Rodrigo’s daughter – are at loggerheads, with the latter going through an impeachment trial over costs, together with an alleged assassination plot in opposition to Marcos.
Sara Duterte is within the Netherlands to help her father, after labelling his arrest “oppression and persecution”.
Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing victims of the drug battle, mentioned Duterte’s arrest “is a superb sign for worldwide legal justice. It signifies that nobody is above the regulation.”
Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan additionally hailed Duterte’s arrest as a key second for victims and worldwide justice as an entire.
“It’s vital to underline, as we now begin a brand new stage of proceedings, that Mr Duterte is presumed harmless,” mentioned Khan.
