International Criminal Court (ICC) Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang has officially taken over leadership of the case against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, following the temporary leave of absence of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan.
The ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) announced that Deputy Prosecutors Niang and Nazhat Shameem Khan have assumed responsibility for the overall management and administration of the office. Niang, in particular, will oversee the case related to the situation in the Philippines.
“With regard to the Situation in the Philippines, Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang retains leadership over this situation and the case against Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” the OTP said in a statement.
Duterte was arrested on March 11 by local authorities in the Philippines over charges of crimes against humanity tied to thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings during his administration’s controversial war on drugs. He is currently detained in Scheveningen Prison in The Hague, Netherlands. The ICC has scheduled a hearing on the confirmation of charges for September 23, 2025.
The ICC reaffirmed its commitment to delivering justice for victims of Rome Statute crimes globally, despite changes in leadership. Khan stepped down temporarily amid an investigation by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services into alleged misconduct.
Niang brings extensive legal experience to the role. He has held several high-ranking judicial positions in Senegal, including prosecutor general of the Appeals Court of Saint Louis, director of Criminal Affairs and Pardons at the Ministry of Justice, and auditeur at the Senegalese Supreme Court. His international experience includes serving as a judge at the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the ICTR, and as regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Southern Africa.
As the case against Duterte progresses, Niang’s leadership signals the ICC’s continued focus on holding accountable those responsible for serious international crimes.
