ICC charges Rodrigo Duterte with crimes against humanity

New Delhi, Sep 23: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte with crimes against humanity over killings carried out during his controversial war on drugs, the BBC reports.

The 80-year-old is accused of being criminally responsible for dozens of murders committed while he was mayor of Davao City and later during his presidency. Thousands of small-time dealers, users and others were killed in police operations and vigilante-style attacks during the campaign.

According to the ICC’s charge sheet, made public on Monday, Duterte has been named as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in killings allegedly carried out by security forces and others. Deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said the charges showed that “Mr Duterte shared responsibility in the crimes, even if not present at the scene.” The indictment covers three counts. The first concerns the murder of 19 people in Davao City between 2013 and 2016, when Duterte was mayor. The second relates to the killings of 14 alleged “high-value targets” across the Philippines, while the third concerns the murder and attempted murder of 45 people during police-led village clearance operations.

Prosecutors allege Duterte and his co-perpetrators “shared a common plan to ‘neutralise’ alleged criminals in the Philippines … through violent crimes including murder.” Duterte, who has long defended his anti-drugs campaign, has said he cracked down on dealers to rid the country of street crime. More than 6,000 people were officially killed during the campaign, but rights groups believe the true figure is far higher. The charge sheet, which includes several redactions, was issued in July but only released publicly this week, the BBC adds.