Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). He was President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is accused of being responsible for dozens of killings linked to his controversial war on drugs, during which thousands of people were killed without trial, including small-time drug users and dealers. According to the ICC charge sheet, Duterte was an indirect co-perpetrator means he didn’t carry out the killings himself but is accused of helping plan and support them.
Most were allegedly done by the police, and others under his leadership. Despite international criticism, the 80-year-old leader has never apologised for his anti-drug campaign, which officially claimed over 6,000 lives, though activists said that the real number is likely much higher. The ICC’s charge sheet dates from July but was only made public yesterday. Rodrigo Duterte is the first Asian former head of state to be indicted by the ICC – and the first suspect to be flown to The Hague in the Netherlands, where the court is based – in over three years. He has been in custody there since March.
Must Read
- Advertisement -
