Former President Rodrigo Duterte appeared in person before judges of the International Criminal Court during the third status conference in his case, 18 months after being detained in The Hague.
Duterte’s appearance was seen through the ICC livestream and in photographs released by Reuters. It marked his first in-person appearance before judges in the proceedings.
Images showed Duterte with longer hair compared with his previously familiar shorter hairstyle. His white hair was also visible around his eyebrows and beard.
The appearance came after his defense team raised concerns about his ability to meaningfully participate in the proceedings due to reported memory problems.
In a Sept. 14 filing, lead defense counsel Peter Haynes said Duterte “suffers from significant memory impairment that prevents him from retaining recent information and reliably accessing memories.”
The defense said the reported condition affects Duterte’s ability to retain recent information, reliably recall memories and meaningfully assist his lawyers.
The concerns were presented as part of the ongoing ICC proceedings in The Hague, Netherlands.
Duterte remains in ICC detention while the case continues before the court. His latest appearance drew public attention as it provided a direct view of the former president after 18 months in detention.
