Former Philippine President Duterte Faces First ICC Hearing Over Human Rights Abuses

Rodrigo Duterte, accused of crimes against humanity during his anti-drug campaign, appears in The Hague following arrest in Manila.

Rodrigo Duterte, former president of the Philippines, appeared at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for his first hearing on Friday at 2:00 PM CET.
Duterte, 79, was arrested on Tuesday at Manila airport under an ICC warrant and transferred to The Hague the following day.
He faces accusations of crimes against humanity for his role in the Philippines' anti-drug campaign, which reportedly led to thousands of extrajudicial killings between 2016 and 2022.
Official figures cite over 6,000 deaths during the campaign, while human rights groups estimate the number to be between 12,000 and 30,000, many of whom were poor individuals without proven drug links.
Duterte is the first former Asian head of state to be brought before the ICC, where he has pledged to take responsibility for the actions of Philippine security forces during his tenure.