ICC grants Duterte request to suspend interim release ruling

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I has granted former President Rodrigo Duterte's request to suspend the adjudication on his bid for interim release, allowing the defense to supplement their original submission.

The decision was made by a majority vote, with Judge María del Socorro Flores Liera partly dissenting.

Duterte's defense team, led by Nicholas Kaufman, initially filed an urgent interim-release application on June 12, 2025, citing humanitarian grounds.

However, the defense sought to postpone the ruling, citing alleged delays in obtaining essential information from the prosecution.

The ICC judges stated that granting the suspension would ensure a decision on the interim release request is appropriately informed, and this should not be interpreted as a prejudgment of the crimes against humanity case.

The prosecution, represented by Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang, argued that the premature filing of the request led to the defense's failure to substantiate their assertions and that they should not be entitled to delay the adjudication.