Dueterte caught in the Hague for crimes against humanity!

Dueterte caught in the Hague for crimes against humanity!

Manila, Philippinen - On March 12, 2025, Rodrigo Duterte, the former President of the Philippines, was officially handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague. The 78-year-old was arrested on March 11, 2025 at Manila Airport based on an international arrest warrant that was sent to Interpol. Duterte is suspected of having committed crimes against humanity, especially in connection with the "war against drugs", in which at least 43 murders are said to have been committed between 2011 and 2019 Süddeutsche.de .

The arrest was confirmed by the Filipino government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. A charter plane brought Duterte to the Hague after a stopover in Dubai in the late afternoon. During his term of office, which lasted from 2016 to 2022, around 6,000 people were killed in the course of the drug war, while human rights organizations appreciate the number of up to 30,000. Many of the victims were poor people from urban areas, including children who were often executed without legal proceedings Human Rights Watch .

the indictment and the background

The arrest warrant against Duterte refers to alleged extrajudicial killings, which took place both during his time as the mayor of Davao City and during his presidency. The ICC has initiated investigations into the ongoing human rights violations since 2018. The chief junction Karim Khan described the arrest as an "important moment for the victims". In the coming months, a preliminary procedure will be scheduled to check the indictment Amnesty International .

The political situation in the Philippines could offer a background for the quick delivery of Dutertes. There are signs of a break between the current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Duterte family, who was previously closely linked. This gave many observers the feeling that the Marcos government would like to clearly distance itself from Duterte, especially with regard to the international response to human rights violations Süddeutsche.de .

reactions to the arrest

The arrest of Dutertes was rated by various human rights organizations as a significant step in the fight against impunity. Julia Duchrow, General Secretary of Amnesty International in Germany, described this development as a bright spot of justice. She demanded that all alleged perpetrators, regardless of her status, are held responsible Amnesty International .