Duterte Detained at ICC’s Scheveningen Center Following Arrest in The Hague

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is detained at Scheveningen by the ICC after being arrested upon his return from Hong Kong. His former executive secretary stated they lacked information about his whereabouts. He faces serious charges related to alleged crimes against humanity during his presidency’s ‘war on drugs.’

The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Thursday that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is currently being held at a detention facility in Scheveningen, located in The Hague. This revelation comes following claims made by Duterte’s former executive secretary, Salvador Medialdea, who stated that he and the Duterte team lacked information regarding the former president’s location.

ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah confirmed that Duterte was detained after undergoing all necessary medical evaluations, a standard procedure for new detainees. Medialdea had accompanied Duterte on his recent trip to The Hague and professed ignorance about the former president’s whereabouts.

Duterte was transported via chartered flight to The Hague on Tuesday, where he faces trial after being apprehended upon his return from Hong Kong. Having served as the Philippines’ president from 2016 to 2022, Duterte stands to be the first Asian former leader to be tried by the ICC.

The ICC previously stated there are “reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte is individually responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator for the crime against humanity of murder,” allegedly committed in the Philippines between November 2011 and March 2019. His controversial “war on drugs” has reportedly resulted in thousands of deaths among low-level drug offenders and users without judicial processes.

In summary, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been detained by the ICC at the Scheveningen facility following a chartered flight from Hong Kong. Despite claims from his former executive secretary regarding a lack of information about his whereabouts, ICC officials confirmed his detention after standard medical checks. Duterte faces serious charges related to his ‘war on drugs’ policy during his presidency, which reportedly led to numerous extrajudicial killings.

Original Source: www.aa.com.tr