The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court has affirmed a previous ruling keeping former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte in detention in The Hague.
In a 29-page decision released Friday night, the five-member chamber dismissed the appeal filed by Duterte’s legal team seeking his temporary release.
The ruling upheld the January 26 decision of the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I, which found no significant changes in Duterte’s situation that would justify granting him temporary liberty.
Duterte has been detained in The Hague since March 12, 2025 in connection with the crimes against humanity case linked to his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
His defense team, led by lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, argued that the pretrial chamber made an error in dismissing a medical report presented by the defense concerning Duterte’s health.
The lawyers said the medical findings suggested Duterte’s condition reduced the risks that he could flee, interfere with witnesses, or continue criminal activity if released.
However, the Appeals Chamber rejected the argument and ruled that the lower chamber did not commit any legal or factual error in its earlier decision.
The judges said the defense had failed to demonstrate that Duterte’s health condition significantly changed the risks associated with his possible release.
With the appeal dismissed, Duterte will remain in detention in the Netherlands as proceedings before the ICC continue.