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Former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte retained the services of Israeli attorney Nick Kaufman to represent him in the International Criminal Court in the Hague where he will be on trial for crimes against Humanity.
Kaufman, who previously served as both a defense attorney and prosecutor at the ICC, is regarded as one of Israel’s leading experts in international law. He was approached on behalf of the former president shortly after Duterte’s extradition to The Hague. “As an Israeli citizen, it’s an honor to be chosen to represent former President Duterte in his trial at The Hague,” Kaufman said.
Kaufman received the request while recovering from surgery at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem. “The surgeon wasn’t thrilled with my decision, but I rushed to Ben Gurion Airport, boarded a plane, and arrived in the Netherlands,” Kaufman said. Over the past week, he has met with Duterte almost daily at the United Nations detention center.
According to Kaufman, there is a legal question regarding the ICC’s jurisdiction over Duterte’s case, after the Philippines withdrew its membership from the court in 2018. Kaufman, who has become a familiar face on Philippine television, has already begun representing Duterte in the international media, holding several press conferences in The Hague to address questions.
Duterte was extradited to the ICC after an arrest warrant was issued against him about a week and a half ago. Upon returning to Manila from a visit to Hong Kong, he was arrested by Philippine authorities and placed on a private plane to The Hague. Kaufman claims the decision to transfer Duterte to the ICC was politically motivated, aimed at eliminating him as a political force in the Philippines and undermining the chances of his daughter, Sara Duterte, the current vice president, in the 2028 presidential elections.
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Duterte is set to stand trial for murder and crimes against humanity due to his harsh policies against suspected drug traffickers. During his presidency, thousands suspected of drug-related offenses were killed. The arrest warrant holds Duterte responsible for at least 43 murders during his time as mayor of Davao City and as president of the Philippines. Duterte will celebrate his 80th birthday in a few weeks.
In the past, Kaufman represented several high-profile figures at the ICC, including former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba, who was tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He also represented Charles Blé Goudé, the youth minister in the Ivory Coast government and a close ally of the president, as well as Callixte Mbarushimana, the secretary-general of the Hutu militia in Rwanda, and Walter Barasa, a Kenyan journalist accused of witness tampering on behalf of Kenyan President William Ruto.
In a recent interview with Ynet, Kaufman spoke of how IDF soldiers who were at risk of arrest during their travels abroad, should avoid prosecution.