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, 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, during which his severe anti-drug campaign took place.
The second count relates to the murders of 14 high-value targets across the country, while the third involves the murder and attempted murder of 45 people during village clearance operations.
Prosecutors contended that Mr. Duterte and his alleged co-perpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to 'neutralise' alleged criminals in the Philippines through violent means, including murder.
Duterte has offered no apologies for his brutal anti-drug crackdown, claiming it was necessary to eradicate street crime, which has seen more than 6,000 people killed, although activists believe the actual figure could be tens of thousands.
Rodrigo Duterte is the first Asian former head of state to be indicted by the ICC and has been in custody in The Hague since March. His attorney has argued that Mr. Duterte is unfit to stand trial due to health issues.
Despite being imprisoned, Duterte was elected again as mayor of Davao, with his son currently serving in the role. His supporters allege the ICC's actions are politically motivated by current president Ferdinand Marcos, who has previously rejected cooperation with the ICC.
