Duterte refuses to attend ICC pre-trial hearing, as former Philippine leader’s ‘drug war’ case begins
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The International Criminal Court (ICC) is proceeding with a pre-trial hearing regarding former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's alleged role in crimes against humanity during his "drug war," despite his refusal to attend. Duterte, accused of overseeing a crackdown that resulted in thousands of deaths, claims he is too ill and does not recognize the court's jurisdiction. The hearing, scheduled to conclude on Friday, will determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial on charges of murder and attempted murder. Families of victims have criticized Duterte's absence, accusing him of cowardice and seeking to evade accountability for the extrajudicial killings. While judges granted Duterte's request to waive his right to attend, they deemed his reasons "speculative" after previously ruling him fit to participate. A written decision will be issued within 60 days.
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This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).
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