In a significant development at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, judges have disqualified Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from the case against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. The decision, dated October 2 but released on Wednesday, cited a ‘reasonable appearance of bias’ due to Khan’s prior representation of victims allegedly affected by Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ campaign. This disqualification follows Khan’s temporary withdrawal from his duties in May pending an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. Court spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah assured that the case against Duterte will proceed under the leadership of a deputy prosecutor, ensuring no disruption in the legal proceedings. Defense lawyers for Duterte had argued in August that Khan’s previous involvement created an ‘irreconcilable conflict of interest,’ a claim the judges found compelling. While the panel did not conclude that actual bias was demonstrated, they acknowledged that a fair-minded observer could perceive a reasonable appearance of bias. Duterte, arrested in March, faces charges of crimes against humanity related to mass killings during his tenure as mayor of Davao and later as president. Estimates of the death toll during his anti-drug campaign range from 6,000 to 30,000. The ICC has postponed pretrial hearings due to health concerns raised by Duterte’s legal team, who argue he is ‘not fit to stand trial.’
ICC disqualifies chief prosecutor from Duterte case over perceived conflict of interest
