ICC Rejects Release Bid From Ex-Philippines President Duterte

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
An International Criminal Court ice C pre trial panel rejected
a request by former Philippine President Rodrigo Dutert for entering
release on October tenth, twenty twenty five. The judges ruled
that his detention remains necessary, citing concerns that he is
a flight risk and could interfere with the legal process.

(00:24):
Ice C judges ruled that deuter It posed a flight
risk and could be in a position to influence witnesses
if freed, arguing that this outweighed any medical problems suffered
by the eighty year old. The Chamber finds that mister
Deuteroit's detention continues to remain necessary. The ICC set in
a heavily redacted ruling day to October tenth. Ice C

(00:46):
prosecutors have charged deuter It with recounts of crimes against humanity,
alleging his involvement in at least seventy six murders as
part of his war on drugs. The first count concerns
his alleged involvement as a co co perpetrator in nineteen
murders carried out between two thousy thirteen and twenty sixteen
while Duditt was mayor of duvasity. The second count relates

(01:09):
to fourteen murders of so called high value targets in
twenty sixteen in twenty seventeen when Duditt was president, and
the third charges about forty three murders committed during clearance
operations of lower level alleged drug users or pushers. These
took place across the Philippines between twenty sixteen in twenty eighteen.

(01:31):
The prosecution alleged Duditt was arrested in Manila on March eleventh,
flown to the Netherlands that same night, and has been
held at the IC Seized Attention Unit at Cheveningen Prison
since he followed his initial hearing by video link, appearing
days than frail and barely speaking. His lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman,

(01:53):
has said Dudart is not able to stand trial as
a result of cognitive impairment in multiple domains. Kaufman has
urged the ICC to postpone proceedings against Dudort indefinitely. An
appeal was filed a week ago. He added, when considering
the request for entering release, judges looked at whether he

(02:14):
was a flight risk, whether he could hinder the case
of freed and his medical condition. The ICC found he
continues to pose a flight risk and attention is necessary
to ensure his presence during the pre trial proceedings and
possible trial. Judges pointed to Deutero It's necessary political contacts
and a network of support, including his daughter Sarah Deudt,

(02:38):
currently Vice President of the Philippines. This network may help
him absconde. Judge z. The ICC also found there was
a risk that Deutered in his network would pose a
threat to potential witnesses, either directly or indirectly through his supporters. Finally,
the judges said that medical reports provided by the defense,

(03:01):
which they say show deuter suffers from cognitive decline, were
insufficient to allow his release. The Chamber considers that the
documents do not indicate how mister Deutert's alleged physical condition
or cognitive impairment negate the risks identified above. The ICC said, However,
judges stressed that this assessment related only to the issue

(03:23):
of entering release, not to the determination of whether he
was fit to stand trial. The ruling is without prejudice
to any further determination in decision on the separate matter
of mister Deudarot's fitness to participate in the present proceedings
and the confirmation of charges hearing. The document said. Philippine

(03:44):
authorities turned Deutert over to the ICC in March twenty
twenty five, and he has been held at the ICC's
detention center in the Hague since then. A confirmation of
charges hearing, where lawyers argue if there is sufficient evidence
for a trial, has been postponed indefinitely while the court
addresses the matter of deuter It's fitness to stand trial.