THE HAGUE: The defense lawyer for Rodrigo Duterte Thursday urged the International Criminal Court to shelve its crimes against humanity case against the former Philippines president, who he said was mentally unfit for trial.
Duterte, 80, was scheduled to appear at the ICC on September 23 to hear charges over his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups say killed thousands.
The ICC ruled earlier this week to adjourn that hearing while judges assessed Duterte’s health, but lawyer Nicholas Kaufman urged the case be shelved indefinitely.
Duterte “is not fit to stand trial as a result of cognitive impairment in multiple domains,” wrote Kaufman in a legal filing published Thursday on the ICC website.
“Mr Duterte’s condition will not improve and, for this reason, the Pre-Trial Chamber must adjourn all legal proceedings in his case indefinitely,” he added.
The former leader is suffering from “significant cognitive deficiencies” affecting his memory, his day-to-day functioning, and his capacity for complex reasoning, according to Kaufman.
Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11, flown to the Netherlands that same night and has been held at the ICC’s detention unit at Scheveningen Prison since.
At his initial hearing, he followed by video link, appearing dazed and frail, barely speaking.
He is the first Asian former head of state charged by the ICC. He stands accused of 43 murders as a crime against humanity.
The ICC prosecutor’s application for his arrest said Duterte’s alleged crimes were “part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population” in the Philippines.
“Potentially tens of thousands of killings were perpetrated,” the prosecutor alleged of the campaign that targeted mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs.
Kaufman said his client’s mental faculties had declined to the point where he was unable to understand the accusations against him or defend himself in court.
A lawyer for victims of Duterte’s “war on drugs” has voiced anger over the ICC’s postponement of the hearing originally scheduled for September 23.
“We expected that Duterte would do this, but the fact that he was able to convince the pre-trial chamber to postpone that indefinitely is scary,” Kristina Conti told AFP.
Duterte defense team urges ICC case shelved on health grounds
https://arab.news/89ns8
Duterte defense team urges ICC case shelved on health grounds
- The ICC ruled earlier this week to adjourn that hearing while judges assessed Duterte’s health
- Duterte “is not fit to stand trial as a result of cognitive impairment in multiple domains,” wrote Kaufman in a legal filing
Putin calls for immediate halt to Iran conflict
- Vladimir Putin in constant contact with the leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council member states
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Iran’s president over the numerous civilian casualties resulting from “the armed Israeli-American aggression against Iran” and called for an immediate halt to hostilities, the Kremlin said.
In a phone call late on Friday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Putin expressed his deep condolences over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, members of Khamenei’s family, Iranian political and military leaders and “numerous civilians.”
“Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s principled stance in favor of an immediate cessation of hostilities, the rejection of force as a method to solve any issues surrounding Iran or arising in the Middle East, and a swift return to the path of diplomatic resolution,” the Kremlin said.
Putin said he was in constant contact with the leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council member states.
“Masoud Pezeshkian expressed gratitude for Russia’s solidarity with the Iranian people as they defend their sovereignty and the independence of their country. He also provided a detailed update on the developments during the latest active phase of the conflict,” the Kremlin said.
