Lawyers for detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte say he suffers from significant cognitive deficiencies that affect his memory and daily functioning, according to documents made public by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Duterte, 80, was arrested and taken to The Hague in March on an arrest warrant that linked him to murders committed during his “war on drugs” where thousands of alleged narcotics peddlers and users were killed.
His lawyers have since then argued he is unfit to stand trial.
According to details from their August 18 defence request released on Thursday, the condition affects his executive functioning, orientation and his capacity for complex reasoning.
Duterte has maintained his arrest was unlawful and tantamount to kidnapping.
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Why ex-Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte was re-elected Davao mayor despite his ICC trial
Earlier this week, judges postponed hearings on the confirmation of the charges against Duterte set for later this month to deal first with the defence request to rule on the former president’s fitness for trial.
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