ICC denies former Philippine president's interim release
Rodrigo Duterte's continued detention 'remains necessary,' says International Criminal Court
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte seen his trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the first time as he attends the hearing via video from the ICC's detention center, while his lawyers were present in the courtroom at the Hague, Netherlands in March 2025.
ISTANBUL
The International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's request for interim release, according to court documents made public on Friday.
Pre-Trial Chamber I, in a 23-page ruling, stated that Duterte's continued detention "remains necessary" because there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person has committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the court, to ensure his appearance at trial, to ensure he does not obstruct or endanger the investigation or court proceedings, and to prevent him from continuing with the crime.
Last month, Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, said that an undisclosed third country has agreed to host the former Philippine president if the ICC grants him interim release.
She had emphasized that Duterte simply wanted to return home to the Philippines and had no intention of going into hiding.
Earlier, Duterte's lawyers had told ICC that he is suffering from "significant cognitive deficiencies," according to an Aug. 18 defense request made public by the court last month.
Duterte was arrested on March 11 in Manila under an ICC warrant and flown to The Hague the same day.
He is accused of crimes against humanity, being responsible for thousands of deaths during his so-called war on drugs between 2016 and 2022.
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