THE HAGUE — The arrest of former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has given a timely boost to the International Criminal Court, which is facing U.S. sanctions and an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by its chief prosecutor.
Duterte was detained in Manila on an ICC warrant and flown to The Hague, where he was taken into custody on Wednesday. He will be brought before a judge for an initial court appearance on Friday. RELATED: Duterte to have first hearing at ICC on Friday | Duterte takes responsibility for Philippines drug war, anticipates long ICC battle “It’s a game-changer right now in terms of the court’s credibility,” said Danya Chaikel, a representative of human rights organization FIDH.
Prosecutors at the world’s permanent war crimes court accuse the 79-year-old of forming and arming death squads held responsible for the killing of thousands of drug users and dealers during his rule. Duterte, speaking in a video posted on social media, said he took full responsibility for the “war on drugs”. Prosecutors at the ICC intend to charge him with crimes against humanity for systematic attacks on the civilian population.
However, the court has been criticized for its slow trials and relatively low number of convictions. In two decades, prosecutors won six convictions for the court’s core crimes, all of them former African militia leaders. It has no police force and relies on its 125 member states to detain fugitives.
Its top suspects remain at.
