ICJ to Hear Rohingya Genocide Case Against Myanmar in January

The United Nations has announced that hearings in the Rohingya genocide case filed against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will take place in January. The Gambia will present its arguments from January 12 to 15, while Myanmar will present its defense from January 16 to 20.

The ICJ has allocated three days for hearing witnesses from each side. These hearings will be closed to the public and the media.

The case was filed in 2019 by The Gambia, a Muslim-majority West African nation, accusing Myanmar of committing genocide during the brutal military crackdown against the Rohingya community in 2017. The allegations include mass killings, widespread violence, and systematic persecution carried out by Myanmar’s military and Buddhist militias.

In September this year, during a session of the United Nations General Assembly on the Rohingya crisis, The Gambia’s Minister of Justice, Dawda Jallow, said he hoped to see a court verdict soon. He stated that Myanmar is responsible for the genocide against the Rohingya and affirmed that The Gambia would pursue the case with full determination to ensure accountability.

On August 24, 2017, nearly one million Rohingya fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh to escape violence and atrocities. They are currently living in the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. At the time of the crackdown, Myanmar was governed by an administration led by Aung San Suu Kyi.