Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The 80-year-old is accused of being criminally responsible for dozens of murders that allegedly took place as part of his so-called war on drugs, during which thousands of small-time drug dealers, users, and others were killed without trial.
The ICC's charge sheet, which includes several redactions, dates from July but was only made public on Monday.
ICC deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang stated that Duterte was an indirect co-perpetrator in the killings, which the court alleges were carried out by others, including police.
The first count laid against Mr Duterte concerns his alleged involvement in the killings of 19 people in Davao City between 2013 and 2016 while he was mayor there.
The other two charges relate to times when he was serving as president of the Philippines, between 2016 and 2022, and launched his so-called war on drugs. The second count relates to the murders of 14 high-value targets across the country, while the third concerns the murder and attempted murder of 45 people in village clearance operations.
Prosecutors cited a common plan or agreement among Duterte and his alleged co-perpetrators to neutralise alleged criminals in the Philippines through violent crimes, including murder.
Duterte has not issued any apologies for the crackdown, which led to over 6,000 reported killings, though activists believe the death toll could be in the tens of thousands. He justified his actions by claiming that he sought to eliminate street crimes.
Rodrigo Duterte is now the first Asian former head of state to be indicted by the ICC and has been in custody in The Hague since March. His lawyer claims Mr Duterte is unfit for trial due to health issues.
Despite being imprisoned, Duterte was re-elected as mayor of Davao in May, with his son continuing to serve as acting mayor. Supporters argue that the ICC's actions are politically driven by the current president Ferdinand Marcos, who has distanced himself from the Duterte family.
The ICC relies on the cooperation of national governments for arrests, which are often denied, with President Marcos previously indicating a refusal to cooperate with the court.
