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Russian President Putin Has Not Declared Intent to Detain ICC Judges in Duterte Case
Claims circulating on social media that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to abduct and imprison International Criminal Court judges handling former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s case are false, according to fact-checkers.
A Facebook post making this claim has gained significant traction since January 5, garnering over 1,400 reactions, 200 comments, and 100 shares. The post, written in Filipino, suggested that Putin would imprison the ICC judges and included photos of Putin, Duterte, US President Donald Trump, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Iulia Motoc, the presiding judge of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I overseeing Duterte’s case.
The misleading post carried text stating: “The ICC has been stormed. ICC judges to be abducted and jailed? Russia has made a declaration against the ICC.” Many users commenting on the post expressed gratitude to Putin for supposedly intervening to secure Duterte’s release.
However, no official statements exist from Putin or the Russian government regarding any plans to detain Judge Motoc or other ICC officials in connection with Duterte’s case. The Facebook page behind the post, “GAP Entertainment,” has over 163,000 followers and primarily shares pro-Duterte and anti-Marcos content.
The misleading claim appears to conflate unrelated events with Duterte’s legal situation. In December 2025, a Moscow court did issue an “in absentia” jail verdict against ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan and eight judges. This Russian action, however, was a direct response to the ICC’s March 2023 arrest warrant for Putin and Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, over alleged war crimes related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This ruling has no connection to Duterte’s case. Moreover, Russia withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, in 2016, and is not an ICC member state.
While Duterte maintained friendly diplomatic relations with Putin during his presidency, the Russian leader has never publicly committed to intervening in Duterte’s legal proceedings or aiding in his release. Duterte was arrested in March 2025 on charges of crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s controversial war on drugs campaign.
The Philippines and Russia have had cooperative relations in the past regarding drug enforcement. In 2017, Russia expressed support for Duterte’s drug war and promised assistance in strengthening the Philippines’ counter-terrorism efforts. Russia itself declared a “total war against drugs” in 2011.
This is not the first time false claims about Putin’s involvement in Duterte’s case have circulated. Fact-checkers have previously debunked several similar assertions regarding alleged Russian support for Duterte’s release from ICC custody.
The spread of such misinformation highlights ongoing challenges in the digital information ecosystem, particularly around high-profile international legal cases. Social media users are encouraged to verify information from official sources before sharing content that makes significant claims about international diplomacy and legal proceedings.
Duterte’s case at the ICC remains a sensitive issue in Philippine politics, with supporters and critics closely following developments. The former president’s controversial anti-drug campaign, which allegedly resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings, forms the basis of the crimes against humanity charges he now faces at the international tribunal.
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9 Comments
While the Duterte case at the ICC is certainly controversial, these claims about Russia’s involvement appear to be unfounded. We should be wary of unsubstantiated reports, especially on social media.
This seems like a concerning attempt to sow discord and spread disinformation. We should be vigilant about verifying claims, especially those involving high-profile political and legal figures like this.
Absolutely, fact-checking is crucial to prevent the spread of misleading narratives. It’s good the fact-checkers were able to debunk this specific claim.
It’s important to verify claims like this before sharing them. The fact-checkers have debunked this specific allegation against Russia. We should be cautious about unsubstantiated reports, especially when they involve high-profile political figures.
This seems like a baseless rumor. The Russian government has denied any plans to detain ICC judges over the Duterte case. Without official statements, these claims appear unfounded.
Interesting to see the reaction this rumor is getting, with some seemingly thankful for Russia’s supposed intervention. However, the denials from the Russian government suggest this is simply not true.
Agreed, the lack of any official statement from Russia lends credence to the fact-checkers’ assessment that this is misinformation.
I’m glad the fact-checkers were able to debunk this rumor. It’s important we rely on authoritative and verified sources, rather than unsubstantiated claims circulating online.
While the Duterte case at the ICC is certainly contentious, I don’t see any credible evidence that Russia is planning to intervene by detaining judges. This sounds like misinformation being spread on social media.