
Ex-Philippine President Duterte's team urges ICC case shelved on health grounds
The Peninsula
The Hague: The defence lawyer for Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday urged the International Criminal Court to shelve its crimes against humanity case agains...
The Hague: The defence lawyer for Rodrigo Duterte on 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.













