All eyes are on British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, who is former president Rodrigo Duterte’s lead counsel in his defense against his crimes against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where he is currently being detained while awaiting trial.
 

Former president Rodrigo Duterte and his British-Israeli lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman (Screengrab from ICC, ABS-CBN News video) 

Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter, confirmed that Kaufman will be her father’s lead counsel.
 

The ICC has already accepted his appointment papers, while Kaufman has received and accepted his nomination as Duterte’s lead counsel.
 

Legal background
 

He studied law at the Cambridge University, where he earned his degree before pursuing a career in criminal defense and international human rights law.
 

Kaufman began his legal career as a defense lawyer in Birmingham, United Kingdom, then he later moved to Israel.
 

He served in the Military Advocate General’s Office of the Israel Defense Forces, followed by his stint in corporate law in Tel Aviv and finally, to criminal law as a prosecutor at the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office.
 

A known criminal defense attorney, Kaufman has a solid track record in handling high-stakes and complex criminal cases.
 

He is well-regarded for his work on behalf of clients facing serious charges, including white-collar crimes, drug offenses, and other significant criminal matters.
 

He has also built a reputation for his ability to navigate intricate legal issues, effectively strategizing for favorable outcomes in challenging cases.
 

‘Strong defense’
 

During one of his interviews with reporters in The Hague, Kaufman said he had “been involved in a quite few cases” before the ICC and is also confident that the defense team has a strong enough argument for the former president’s acquittal.
 

“I’m very confident of the strongest defense possible and I’m confident he will be acquitted indeed, even at earliest stage possible,” he assured.
 

Asked if he would be able to bring Duterte back to the Philippines, the lawyer responded, “I certainly hope so.”
 

He also hinted at plans to apply for an interim release, or temporary liberty, for the 79-year-old Duterte, who is turning 80 years old this March 28, before his Sept. 23 confirmation of charges hearing.
 

“In nearly every case, an application for interim release is submitted. I’ll file it when I feel it is appropriate,” he said.
 

Notable cases
 

One of the most notable cases he handled at the ICC was that of Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former vice president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and leader of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC).
 

Bemba was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically for his role in atrocities committed by his forces during the 2002-2003 conflict in the Central African Republic.
 

In 2016, Bemba was initially convicted of war crimes and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
 

However, Kaufman and his team successfully appealed the conviction, leading to Bemba's acquittal in 2018. The appeals chamber of the ICC found that the trial chamber had erred in its interpretation of command responsibility.
 

He was also part of the legal teams of Charles Blé Goudé, an Ivorian politician charged with crimes against humanity in Côte d’Ivoire; Callixte Mbarushimana, a Rwandan national and senior leader of the rebel group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity; and Aisha Gaddafi, who petitioned for the ICC to investigate the circumstances surrounding her father’s death.