26/06/24 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 25 June, the European Union welcomed the acquittal of former Philippine Senator and Justice Minister Leila de Lima and her co-defendants, after she had spent nearly 7 years in pre-trial detention in the Philippines. This detention was ordered at the time following her investigative work into the abuses orchestrated by former president Rodrigo Duterte. The verdict was handed down on 24 June by the Muntinlupa Regional Court of First Instance, acquitting the defendants of the last charge against them. In a press release issued by the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU expressed the hope that this decision would be definitive and welcomed the initiatives taken by the Philippines “to respect its international obligations in the field of the rule of law, human rights, fundamental freedoms and the independence of the judiciary”. (PLD)