ICC judges deny Duterte's bid for expert communication details

Pre-trial judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have rejected former president Rodrigo Duterte's lawyers' request for information regarding communications between the ICC Registry and medical experts appointed to assess his fitness to stand trial.

In a five-page decision, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I stated that the defense already possesses all the necessary information about the ICC Registry's interactions with the experts and the basis of their reports.

The Chamber emphasized that the ICC Registry functions as a neutral body for conveying Court instructions to the experts.

Duterte's lawyer Nicholas Kaufman had requested the judges to direct the ICC Registry to disclose all communications with the three medical experts.

The prosecution and victims' counsel have urged the pre-trial chamber to declare Duterte fit to stand trial based on the experts' reports.

The judges have yet to issue a decision on Duterte's fitness to stand trial.

Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte has arrived in The Hague, Netherlands, to visit his father.