ICC denies ex-Philippine leader Duterte’s request for temporary release

 The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has upheld the detention of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is accused of crimes against humanity, and has denied his defense counsel's request for temporary release.

"The Appeals Chamber is of the view that the defense failed to substantiate that the Pre-Trial Chamber’s conclusions were unreasonable," ICC Appeals Chamber Judge Lucia del Carmen Ibanez Carranza said, announcing the ruling. She added that the Pre-Trial Chamber applied the proper legal standard and correctly assessed the risk of interference with the investigation if Duterte were released.

The judge explained that the contested decision considered Duterte's political contacts and his extensive network of supporters, as evidenced by his re-election as mayor of Davao in May 2025, which confirms a real risk of absconding and influencing witnesses.

The ruling also notes that the court took into account Duterte's health condition but concluded that humanitarian reasons do not reduce the risk of interfering with the investigation and are not an independent basis for his release.

The court further determined that the guarantees offered by one of the states parties to the Rome Statute, along with its supervision of Duterte in the event of provisional release, weren't enough to cancel out the risks identified.