The International Criminal Court's Appeals Chamber has rejected former president Rodrigo Duterte's appeal for interim release, upholding a prior decision to keep him detained. The ICC found no error in the Pre-Trial Chamber's dismissal of a medical report on his health. Duterte remains at the ICC detention center in the Netherlands as proceedings continue.
On March 6, 2026, the International Criminal Court's Appeals Chamber unanimously upheld the January 26 decision by Pre-Trial Chamber I, ordering former president Rodrigo Duterte's continued detention at the ICC facility in the Netherlands. ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet stated, "The Appeals judges unanimously confirm the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I, which had remanded Mr. Duterte in detention." The chamber dismissed all of Duterte's defense arguments in full.
Duterte's legal team contended that the pre-trial chamber erred in fact and law by disregarding a medical report on his health, arguing it represented new evidence that should influence the detention review. However, the Appeals Chamber ruled that the report offered no fresh medical details, as the involved doctors had not performed a new examination. The decision noted that "no independent clinical re-examination was conducted."
Furthermore, the court clarified that assessing detention risks, including Duterte's health impacts, falls under judicial discretion rather than requiring additional medical input. The pre-trial chamber had already relied on the latest assessments from court-appointed experts. Consequently, no errors were found in maintaining Duterte's custody while his case on crimes against humanity proceeds.
