Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was apprehended in Manila on Wednesday and brought to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to answer for murder as a crime against humanity.

In a statement, the ICC affirmed Duterte’s surrender to its custody, disclosing that he was arrested by Philippine forces in connection with his divisive “war on drugs” campaign that killed thousands of suspected drug users and pushers. He was 79 years old. He was brought in from Manila aboard a chartered plane before being brought to a detention center along the Dutch coast. He will be arraigned before an ICC judge within days.

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Duterte, president from 2016 to 2022, is alleged to have orchestrated extrajudicial executions through death squads that were allegedly funded and armed during his regime. His arrest is a record-breaking event since he might be the first Asian former leader to be tried at the ICC.

Video of his arrest in Manila captured Duterte challenging the accusations against him. “What is the reason for my detention? What crime did I commit?” he demanded. When he was told of the ICC’s murder charges, he said, “It must be murders,” with emphasis on the plural.

Beyond the ICC, anti-Duterte protesters marched carrying signs calling for justice, with one activist referring to his arrest as “great news for the Filipino people.” Some Duterte supporters also protested, condemning the relocation of a former president to an international court.

In the Philippines, Duterte’s arrest has fanned hopes in families of drug war victims. While police total 6,200 killed during anti-drug operations, human rights organizations place the actual death toll much greater, with additional thousands killed in circumstances not quite clear.