Inside Philippine ex-president Duterte’s ICC detention centre

THE HAGUE – A cell measuring 9 sq m, one hour’s exercise outside and a weekly budget of €25 (S$37) for treats: Welcome to the new world of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.

AFP was granted rare access inside the detention centre in The Hague, where he is awaiting trial on crimes against humanity charges over his “war on drugs” that killed thousands.

The imposing building is a stone’s throw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he will stand trial, and about a kilometre from The Hague’s famous dunes, where residents flock to enjoy long sandy beaches.

But there are no such pleasures for Duterte, who is permitted one hour of outdoor exercise per day on a tennis court that has seen better days.

The facility holds people awaiting trial not just at the ICC but also at other international courts.

Ratko Mladic, known as the “Butcher of Bosnia”, is in a different wing, under the authority of the United Nations Detention Unit.

The ICC currently holds seven detainees – in with Duterte are Libyan prison boss Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri and convicted Timbuktu police chief Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud.

It has plenty of room for more. Thirty-two cells in total stand ready to receive people served with ICC arrest warrants, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Cells are around 9 sq m, with a toilet and sink in the corner, a thin plastic mattress on a single bed and a window overlooking the exercise yard.

Inmates shower in one of three small separate cubicles in a washroom that doubles as a laundry, with a washing and drying machine.

Prisoners do their own laundry. In a note on the wall, they are implored to clean the filters “so that the dryer can be used by other gentlemen”.

No machine guns

The detainees mingle in the common room, which has games, puzzles, books, a tank of calming tropical fish and cooking facilities for a taste of home.

On a table is a discarded score sheet. Ali 3, Mar 3: perhaps a hotly contested game of dominoes between two war crimes suspects?

A pan of what appears to be leftover curry stands congealing on the hob. Prisoners are allowed to cook their own food, in addition to their a la carte breakfast and two hot meals per day.

People grumble about the food, like in every detention centre, said prison director Marc Dubuisson.

“But when people are complaining about food, it’s good because they are not complaining about more serious matters”, like ill-treatment, he added.

Nevertheless, food is a “key topic” in the detention centre, and officials try to take national tastes into account when feeding the inmates, asking them what they would like to eat, said Mr Dubuisson.

In addition, they have €25 per week to spend on a pre-approved list of treats and luxuries. These can be food or special toiletries, for example.

They can do voluntary jobs such as cleaning to earn a few extra euros, but Mr Dubuisson stressed that this is a detention centre, not a place where people are serving a sentence.

“They are free to do what they like” within strict house rules, added the 63-year-old Belgian.

The custody officers try to forge a good relationship with the prisoners. “There are no machine guns in this building,” he noted.

Sometimes tensions emerge

They are locked up from 8.30pm to around 7am, as well as from noon to 1pm and 5pm to 6pm.

Outside these hours, there is a routine of activities.

Staff encourage physical exercise. There is a well-equipped gym and indoor sports hall with badminton, basketball and boxing punchbags.

A sports trainer is available daily, plus various classes. Inmates can sign up for yoga and language or art lessons.

A library of books and DVDs in several languages is at the prisoners’ disposal. They have a secure computer – not connected to the internet – to prepare their cases.

There is a medical wing, with three doctors available, although emergencies require an external hospital visit.

Family visits take place in a separate room, complete with toys for children. Conjugal visits are also possible in a different cell with a pull-down bed just big enough for two.

Mr Dubuisson said the inmates are generally relatively sociable with one another, sharing news of family members.

“There is sometimes tension like in all detention centres but never to the point we were forced to call the police,” he added. AFP