What is the International Criminal Court, which had former Philippine President Duterte arrested?

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The International Criminal Court where detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is being taken after his arrest in the Philippines is a court of last resort for the most serious international offenses, such as genocide and crimes against humanity.

The 79-year-old former president has become the first former Asian leader to be arrested by the global court. Duterte was expected to arrive Wednesday in the Netherlands after his arrest the previous morning on an ICC warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity over deadly anti-drug crackdowns he oversaw while in office.

What is the International Criminal Court?

The ICC handles allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression, and takes on cases when nations are unable or unwilling to prosecute crimes on their territory.

The court’s newest member, Ukraine, formally joined in January, bringing the number of member states to 125. Major powers — the United States, Russia and China — are among nations that are not members.

The ICC, which has a budget this year of more than 195 million euros ($213 million), does not have a police force and has to rely on the cooperation of states to arrest suspects.

Judges at the court have issued 60 arrest warrants and convicted 11 people. Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga was the first, sentenced in 2012 to 14 years in prison for conscripting child soldiers.

In 2021, the court convicted Ugandan commander Dominic Ongwen of dozens of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including multiple killings and forced marriages in Uganda. Ongwen was a one-time child soldier who morphed into a brutal commander of a notorious rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Three verdicts