Judges in The Hague will inform the former president of the crimes against humanity he is accused of having committed.
The Philippines’ former President Rodrigo Duterte will make a first appearance at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face charges of crimes against humanity in The Hague over his deadly war on drugs.
“The Chamber considers it appropriate for the first appearance of Mr Duterte to take place on Friday, 14 March 2025 at 14:00 hours (13:00 GMT),” the court said in a statement late on Thursday.
Duterte stands accused of the crime against humanity of murder over his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups said killed as many as 30,000 people.
The 79-year-old former leader was turned over by the Philippines to The Hague-based court on Wednesday, becoming the first-ever Asian leader to be charged before the international tribunal.
During the hearing on Friday, Duterte will appear before judges and be informed of the crimes he is alleged to have committed, as well as his rights as a defendant.
As he landed in the Netherlands on Wednesday, the former leader appeared to accept responsibility for his actions, saying in a Facebook video: “I have been telling the police, the military, that it was my job and I am responsible.”
Duterte’s swift arrest in Manila and turnover to the ICC came amid a spectacular meltdown in relations between his family and the Marcos family, who had joined forces in the Philippines presidential elections in 2022 and won in a landslide.
Current President Ferdinand Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte – Rodrigo’s daughter – are at loggerheads, with the latter facing an impeachment trial over charges, including an alleged assassination plot against Marcos.
Sara Duterte is in the Netherlands to support her father, after labelling his arrest “oppression and persecution”.
Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing victims of the drug war, said Duterte’s arrest “is a great signal for international criminal justice. It means that no one is above the law.”
Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan also hailed Duterte’s arrest as a key moment for victims and international justice as a whole.
“It’s important to underline, as we now start a new stage of proceedings, that Mr Duterte is presumed innocent,” said Khan.
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