Duterte refuses to attend ICC pre-trial hearing, as former Philippine leader’s ‘drug war’ case begins
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- The International Criminal Court (ICC) will begin a pre-trial hearing on Monday to confirm charges against former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his deadly anti-drug campaign, despite his refusal to attend due to health reasons.
- Duterte, accused of overseeing extrajudicial killings during his presidency and as mayor of Davao, denies the charges and does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction, calling his arrest a "kidnapping" and claiming memory loss.
- Families of victims have condemned Duterte's absence as cowardice and demand he face justice, while the court has ruled he is fit to attend hearings, though his defense was granted a waiver for this session.
- The pre-trial hearing will assess if there is sufficient
