ICC Defers Ruling on Duterte's Interim Release

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has officially deferred its ruling on former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's interim release request after his legal team petitioned for a delay to gather additional evidence. The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I, by majority, agreed to suspend the decision, emphasizing that this pause does not prejudge the final outcome, while Judge María del Socorro Flores Liera dissented. The defense cited difficulties in obtaining critical documents and initially argued for urgent release on humanitarian grounds due to Duterte’s age, but later sought more time. The prosecution objected to the delay, arguing the defense filed prematurely and should not be permitted to stall the process. The ICC noted that the defense could renew the application for interim release if warranted by new evidence. Duterte has been detained in The Hague since March 2025 on crimes against humanity charges related to his war on drugs.