AMSTERDAM, Feb 23 — The International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to open preliminary proceedings on Monday against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, nearly a year after his arrest on dozens of murder charges.
The German Press Agency (dpa) reported that the indictment accuses him of at least 78 murders in the country's "war on drugs" from 2011 to 2019.
Duterte is the first former head of state to face charges of crimes against humanity before the court in The Hague. Proceedings are set to start at 10am (0900 GMT).
During his tenure as mayor of Davao City and from 2016 to 2022 as president, he waged a relentless fight against drug crime, with an estimated 30,000 victims, according to human rights organisations.
In March last year, he was arrested in the Philippines and handed over to the court. The 80-year-old will not be in the courtroom, though no explanation was provided, which is acceptable under court procedures.
Supporters and opponents of the former president have announced that they will demonstrate outside the court.
In the preliminary proceedings, the judges will first examine the evidence to determine whether it is sufficient to open the main proceedings. A decision is expected in May.
