Duterte asks ICC to disqualify prosecutor Karim Khan

A composite photo of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte (right) and ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan. ARCHIVE

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has filed a request before the International Criminal Court (ICC) to disqualify its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, from his case, alleging a “blatant conflict of interest” that undermines the fairness of the proceedings. In a 14-page public redacted filing dated August 7, Duterte’s lawyer Nicholas Kaufman claimed Khan previously represented victims of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign before becoming ICC prosecutor in June 2021, and failed to disclose this until March 6, 2025 — a month after applying for Duterte’s arrest warrant. “This request to disqualify Mr. Khan is grounded in an irreconcilable conflict of interest arising out of his former representation of victims of an alleged policy of extrajudicial drug-related killings in the Philippines,” the filing stated, adding that Khan had a statutory duty to seek exculpatory evidence that could undermine his former clients’ testimonies. Kaufman alleged Khan never sought a waiver from his former clients and “abused the criminal process” by pushing forward an investigation in which he had a personal interest. The motion comes ahead of Duterte’s September 23 confirmation of charges hearing on crimes against humanity over thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings during his presidency and earlier tenure as Davao City mayor. Duterte has been in ICC custody since March 12. Khan, currently on self-imposed leave over unrelated sexual misconduct allegations, has yet to respond to Duterte’s disqualification request. CAM/Expat Media