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
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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
WHO warns of health risks from ‘black rain’ in Iran
- “The black rain and the acidic rain coming with it is indeed a danger for the population, respiratory mainly,” WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told a press briefing in Geneva, adding that Iran had advised people to stay indoors
GENEVA: The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that the “black rain” falling in Iran after strikes on oil facilities could cause respiratory problems, and it backed Iran’s advisory urging people to remain indoors.
The UN health agency, which has an office in Iran and works with authorities on health emergencies, said it has received multiple reports of oil-laden rain this week.
HIGHLIGHT
Tehran was choked in black smoke on Monday after an oil refinery was hit, in an escalation in strikes on Iran’s domestic energy supplies as part of the US-Israeli campaign.
Tehran was choked in black smoke on Monday after an oil refinery was hit, in an escalation in strikes on Iran’s domestic energy supplies as part of the US-Israeli campaign.
“The black rain and the acidic rain coming with it is indeed a danger for the population, respiratory mainly,” WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told a press briefing in Geneva, adding that Iran had advised people to stay indoors.
Asked whether the WHO backed that advice, he said: “Given what is at risk right now, the oil storage facilities, the refineries that have been struck, triggering fires, bringing serious air quality concerns, that is definitely a good idea.”
One video sent to Reuters by a WHO staff member showed what they said was a cleaner mopping up black liquid at its office entrance in Tehran on March 8.
