Nicholas Kaufman, Duterte’s Lawyer, Gives Message To Filipinos Who Monitor his ICC Case
Duterte’s lawyer Nicholas Kaufman called on the Filipinos to respect the right of the former Philippine President to a “fair trial”.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands for more than a month now. It was last March 11 when the former President was arrested by the Philippine authorities and was flown abroad for the transfer of his custody to the International Criminal Court.
The ICC reportedly issued an arrest warrant against Duterte. He is faced with an allegation of crimes against humanity. Amid the unexpected turn of events, both Vice Pres. Sara Duterte and Davao City First District Representative Paolo Duterte claimed that their family got closer amid the ICC legal battle of their father.
Currently, it is Cong. Paolo Duterte who is in The Hague, Netherlands. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte has returned to the Philippines in the first week of April after finalizing the ICC legal team of her father. The team is composed of all foreign lawyers led by British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman.
Aside from the British-Israeli lawyer, also a Duterte’s lawyer is French lawyer Dov Jacobs. Vice Pres. Duterte previously clarified that they want the lawyers of her father to really be focusing in the case, thus, former presidential spokesman Harry Roque is not part of the team. She stressed that he must focus on his application for asylum.
Recently, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, was asked about his message for the Filipino people who closely monitor the legal proceedings regarding the ICC case of the former President. Based on a video posted on the Facebook page Nurse Mae Laagan, the British-Israeli lawyer called on the Filipinos to respect the legal process, the judges, and his client’s right to a fair trial.
“Respect the judicial process. Respect the judges. And respect former Pres. Duterte’s right to a fair trial,” Duterte’s lawyer said.
Previously, the ICC denied the request of the camp of Duterte for stricter requirements on the verification of the witnesses’ identities. The camp of the former President wants the court to require the witnesses to provide either a national ID or a passport with an updated photo.