Sultan of Marawi to testify against Duterte in ‘Global Court’

Sultan Hamidullah Atar of Marawi City will testify against the Duterte administration before the International Peoples’ Tribunal (IPT2018), human rights group Karapatan said on Monday.

The IPT2018 is a global court convened by the European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, IBON International, and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines.

According to Karapatan, Atar is set to testify on Sept.18-19 at the IPT2018 in Brussels, Belgium about the human rights violations allegedly committed by the Duterte regime to the Meranaws during the Marawi City siege, and the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, Suara Bangasamoro Chairperson Jerome Succor Aba will testify on the charges regarding religious discrimination, arbitrary detention, and torture committed against him by agents of US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) on April 17-19, Karapatan added.

Various local organizations led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and Karapatan will raise a total of 21 cases or incidents in the IPT2018.

“These cases can fall into these categories – violations on economic, social and cultural rights, violations on civil and political rights, and violations on the right to self-determination,” the human rights group added.

Karapatan said the verdict from the IPT would be submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the European Parliament, and the United Nations Human Rights Council as a case against the US-Duterte regime.   /vvp