The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday rejected former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s request for temporary release from custody. The ex-president is awaiting trial in The Hague for crimes against humanity. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
- A Dutch criminal court rejected Duterte’s request to be released from custody.
- Duterte is facing trial in The Hague for crimes against humanity.
- The judge rejected arguments about his health and the risks of release.
- The charges relate to his 2016-2022 anti-drug policy.
- Duterte calls the trial illegal, the court postponed the hearing indefinitely.
The presiding judge, Carmen Ibáñez Carranzová, said at the hearing that the lawyers of the 80-year-old ex-president did not present strong enough guarantees for his temporary release from custody in The Hague, where the court is based. Duterte’s lawyers asked for a “humanitarian” parole, citing the country’s former leader’s poor health.
The judge stated that “the proposed release conditions were insufficient to mitigate the risks associated with Mr. Duterte’s temporary release” and rejected the defense’s argument. Duterte served as president from 2016 to 2022. He was arrested on March 11, 2025 in Manila, Philippines and transferred to The Hague on charges related to his “war on drugs”. His policies have led to the deaths of thousands of alleged drug users and dealers. The ex-president has repeatedly called the process illegal and claims that he was illegally abducted to the Netherlands.
The judges have not yet ruled on whether Duterte is fit to stand trial. The date of the original hearing was set for September 23, but the court postponed it indefinitely. Reuters reminds that it is not customary for an international court to recognize a suspect as completely incapable of participating in the trial.
