"Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in March in Manila and has been held in the ICC's detention unit in the Netherlands since then. At his first hearing, which he attended via videolink, he appeared weak and barely spoke. The ICC is investigating mass killings during Duterte's anti-drug crackdowns as mayor of Davao and later as president. Death toll estimates range from more than 6,000 reported by police to 30,000 claimed by rights groups."
"Prosecutors claim his drug war was "part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population in the Philippines." Judges have granted a limited delay to assess whether he can participate in proceedings. The hearing has now been postponed until further notice. "We expected that Duterte would do this, but the fact that he was able to convince the pretrial chamber to postpone that indefinitely is scary," Kristina Conti, one of the lawyers representing the families, told AFP."
"Duterte is the first former Asian president to be charged by the ICC. The case has sparked political tensions in Manila, with critics blaming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for surrendering Duterte to the ICC. The court will now decide whether the trial can proceed."
Judges at the International Criminal Court postponed a Sept. 23 pretrial hearing for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, citing concerns about his health and granting a limited delay to assess fitness to participate. Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity over a deadly anti-drug crackdown that rights groups say killed thousands. He was arrested in March in Manila and has been held in the ICC's detention unit in the Netherlands. Prosecutors allege mass killings during his time as mayor of Davao and later as president, with death toll estimates ranging from more than 6,000 to 30,000. Families of alleged victims expressed disappointment, and the case has heightened political tensions in Manila as critics blamed the current government for surrendering Duterte to the court.
Read at www.dw.com
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