The prosecution team of the International Criminal Court (ICC) plans to present five witnesses in person before the tribunal by the end of the year for the trial of former President Rodrigo Duterte. This was confirmed during the fourth status conference of the ICC Trial Chamber III on Tuesday.
Presiding Judge Joanna Korner asked the prosecution how many witnesses they expect to appear in person before the trial begins on November 30. ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Julian Nicholls responded, stating, "They will all be present unless something unforeseen… They will be 1302, 1100, 1400, 1263, and 0009… those are the five that we plan for this year."
The witnesses are referred to by numerical codes to protect their identities. They are expected to testify at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, and may do so either in person or through statements, depending on court arrangements.
Nicholls also revealed that several potential witnesses have been removed from the prosecution's list for various reasons.