Former Philippines leader Duterte appears in ICC courtroom

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, 81, made his first public appearance in an International Criminal Court (ICC) courtroom on Wednesday, 18 months after his transfer to The Hague. He faces charges of crimes against humanity for allegedly orchestrating death squads during his “war on drugs” from 2016 to 2022, and as mayor of Davao. His lawyers argued he suffers from cognitive decline, affecting his ability to stand trial, which is scheduled to begin in November. ICC judges had previously ruled in January that his health was sufficient for him to attend proceedings in person. Duterte, who did not speak in court, is accused of responsibility for up to 30,000 deaths in the crackdown, though police reported 6,200 suspects killed.