THE HAGUE, April 23 — Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will stand trial at the International Criminal Court after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his controversial “war on drugs.”
THE HAGUE, April 23 — Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will stand trial at the International Criminal Court after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his controversial “war on drugs.”
The ICC said in a statement that pre-trial judges “unanimously confirmed all the charges” against Duterte and ordered him to be committed to trial.
Duterte is set to become the first former Asian head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals accused of the world’s most serious crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The court is currently facing one of the most challenging periods in its 24-year history, amid US sanctions imposed on key judges and officials following arrest warrants issued against Israel’s leadership over the Gaza conflict.
It remains uncertain whether the 81-year-old will attend his trial.
His legal team has argued that he is not mentally fit to follow the proceedings, and he was absent from a week of hearings held to assess the validity of the charges.
He has only been seen once since his arrest, during an initial video appearance in which he appeared confused, fatigued and barely audible.
The pre-trial chamber said there are “substantial grounds to believe that Duterte is responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder,” according to the ICC statement. — AFP
BANGKOK, April 24 — Thailand’s Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a petition accusing 44 current and former opposition lawmakers of ethics violations over their 2021 move to amend a law protecting the monarchy from criticism, according to Thai media reports.
PUTRAJAYA, April 24 — The Court of Appeal today dismissed Kepala Batas MP Dr Siti Mastura’s appeal against a High Court ruling ordering her to pay RM825,000 in damages and costs for defaming three DAP leaders by linking them to former Communist Party of Malaya leader Chin Peng.
THE HAGUE, April 23 — Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will stand trial at the International Criminal Court after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his controversial “war on drugs.”