The International Criminal Court's appeals chamber has rejected former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's request for temporary freedom, ensuring he remains detained in The Hague. The ruling was delivered on November 28, 2025, amid ongoing investigations into his administration's drug war.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will continue to be held at the International Criminal Court (ICC) prison in The Hague following the appeals chamber's denial of his appeal for interim release on November 28, 2025. Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, a Peruvian jurist leading the five-person chamber, announced the decision during the hearing.
This marks another setback for Duterte, who previously faced an adverse ruling from Carranza in June 2023, when the chamber permitted the continuation of the ICC's investigation into alleged crimes against humanity linked to extrajudicial killings during his presidency's war on drugs.
The decision drew emotional responses in the Philippines. At the University of the Philippines College of Law in Diliman, Quezon City, a relative of a victim from the Duterte-era killings was seen crying during a live broadcast of the hearing. Victims' families have expressed frustration over the pace of proceedings, with some questioning when a full trial might begin.
Duterte's detention stems from an ICC arrest warrant issued earlier, related to probes into thousands of deaths in the Philippines' anti-drug campaign from 2016 to 2022. The appeals chamber's ruling upholds the prosecution's stance that releasing Duterte could pose risks to the case's integrity.
While the exact start of a trial remains unclear, the decision underscores the ICC's commitment to pursuing accountability in international justice matters.