The International Criminal Court has formed its prosecution team with deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang joining Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan in the ‘crimes against humanity’ case against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Khan was responsible for securing arrest warrants against Duterte, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged crimes against humanity.
Niang has held senior positions in the Senegalese judicial system.
He has extensive international experience within the United Nations system, serving in various positions at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Southern Africa, and Judge at the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the ICTR.
Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte requested to be his father’s personal legal counsel to maintain direct access to her father while in detention.
Duterte’s defense team is led by international lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, along with former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
Roque, however, clarified that this request is not intended for her to serve as legal counsel before the ICC but merely to facilitate access to the detained former President.
“Visits to detainees are limited to one hour and are subject to approval, even for family members,” Roque noted.
Earlier, Roque criticized the lack of access given to Duterte’s family, calling it a “travesty of justice.” He lamented that it took two days before they were allowed to see the former President.
“This is unheard of even in a country like the Philippines, where a family member—a daughter, no less—was not allowed access to her father. This is a very sad day for international justice,” Roque said.
The ICC is scheduled to confirm charges against Duterte on Sept. 23, 2025. The prosecution must prove that Duterte orchestrated systematic or widespread crimes against civilians during his administration’s controversial war on drugs.