The Hague: International Criminal Court considers Duterte fit to stand trial

The trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to begin on November 30 as planned. The court decided that the 81-year-old was fit to stand trial. Independent medical experts examined Duterte's health.

Duterte is accused of crimes against humanity. He is charged with multiple murders and attempted murders in the so-called fight against drug crime in the Philippines. Human rights organizations estimate that a total of 30,000 people were killed. Suspects are often said to have been literally executed without a trial. Addicts were often killed.

Six years of nationwide “war on drugs”

The campaign initially began in the city of Davao, where Duterte was mayor. He eventually expanded the operation to the entire country during his term as president from 2016 to 2022.

The ex-president was arrested in the capital Manila in March 2025 on the basis of an arrest warrant from the ICC and flown to the Netherlands. "There are sufficient reasons to believe that Mr. Duterte is responsible for crimes against humanity such as murder and attempted murder," said the ICC judges. Duterte denies all allegations.

Duterte repeatedly failed to appear at hearings

Duterte did not appear in court at several hearings because, according to his lawyers, he was not medically able to do so. He first appeared before judges at a hearing in September. He is the first former head of state from Asia to be tried at the ICC.

Under ICC rules, proceedings cannot proceed if a defendant does not understand the charge or is unable to contribute substantially to his or her defense.