UN's top court to hear Rohingya case against Myanmar in January

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's principal judicial organ, will hold public hearings Jan. 12 to 29 about allegations that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority, according to a statement on Friday.

The proceedings follow an application filed by The Gambia in November 2019, accusing Myanmar of violating "the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”

The Gambia requested the ICJ declare that Myanmar breached its obligations under the convention, to order the cessation of any wrongful acts and to ensure reparations and guarantees of non-repetition for Rohingya victims.

The Court previously indicated provisional measures against Myanmar in January 2020, and both parties have since submitted written pleadings on the merits of the case.

Eleven states -- Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Maldives, Slovenia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belgium and Ireland -- filed declarations of intervention.

The hearings will focus on the case's merits, including testimony from witnesses and experts.

The Muslim Rohingya minority has long suffered oppression in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where officials have been accused of genocide. About 1 million have fled to neighboring Bangladesh since 2017.