Manila, April 22 -- The judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber on Wednesday affirmed the ICC's jurisdiction to try former president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity.

The Appeals Chamber rejected all four arguments raised by Duterte's camp, affirming the Oct. 28 decision of ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I and denying the defense's challenge to the Court's jurisdiction over the case.

"Having rejected the entire appeal, the Appeals Chamber considers that the defense request for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Duterte is moot," Presiding Judge Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza said.

The Appeals Chamber was composed of Carranza, Judge Tomoko Akane, Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa, Gocha Lordkipanidze, and...