International Court of Justice opens hearings on genocide allegations against Myanmar over Rohingya

The Hindu
The Hindu
52m ago
The International Court of Justice opened hearings in a case brought by Gambia accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya, as Rohingya victims said they want the court to deliver justice.
International Court of Justice opens hearings on genocide allegations against Myanmar over Rohingya
A What happened
The International Court of Justice opened hearings in The Hague in a case brought by Gambia accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya. Rohingya victims said they want the court case to deliver justice, including Yousuf Ali, a 52-year-old Rohingya refugee who said he was tortured by the Myanmar military. Myanmar’s armed forces launched an offensive in 2017 that forced at least 730,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, where refugees recounted killings, mass rape and arson, and a U.N. fact-finding mission concluded the offensive included “genocidal acts.” The hearings will be closed to the public and media for sensitivity and privacy reasons and will span three weeks.
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Key insights

  • 1

    Potential legal precedents: Nicholas Koumjian said the case is likely to set critical precedents for how genocide is defined, how it can be proven, and how violations can be remedied.

  • 2

    Broader impact beyond Myanmar: The outcome is expected to have repercussions beyond Myanmar, including likely effects on South Africa’s genocide case at the ICJ against Israel over the war in Gaza.

  • 3

    First international court testimony from Rohingya victims in this case: The hearings mark the first time Rohingya victims of the alleged atrocities will be heard by an international court, with sessions closed for sensitivity and privacy reasons.

Takeaways

The ICJ has begun multi-week hearings on Gambia’s genocide case against Myanmar, with Rohingya victims seeking justice and Myanmar denying the allegations.

Topics

World & Politics International Affairs Human Rights Law & Public Safety Courts

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