ICC Appeals Chamber rules it has jurisdiction in Rodrigo Duterte criminal case

April 22 (UPI) -- The International Criminal Court's Appeals Chamber ruled Wednesday that the court has jurisdiction in the case of Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines.

The decision by the five-judge panel is a response to an appeal by Duterte's defense team arguing that the ICC should not have jurisdiction over the case because the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019.

Duterte, 80, is charged with crimes against humanity over alleged extrajudicial killings of thousands of people carried out as part of a crackdown on drugs in the Philippines. Duterte denies the allegations.

The appeals court rejected Duterte's appeal, ruling under the Rome Statute that while the Philippines withdrew from the ICC effective March 17, 2019, the ICC still has jurisdiction over alleged crimes that occurred between Nov. 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019.

The Philippine drug war began in July 2016. Suspects accused of selling and using drugs were allegedly killed during the crackdown.

"Mr. Duterte is suspected of crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder -- allegedly committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population on the territory of the Republic of the Philippines between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019 in the context of the 'war on drugs,' campaign," the ICC said in a press release. "

Duterte was arrested in September 2021.

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