World court urged to hold Myanmar accountable for Rohingya genocide
Fortify Rights calls on International Court of Justice to affirm genocide findings as landmark hearings open in case brought by The Gambia
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (MNTV) — Human rights organization Fortify Rights has urged the International Court of Justice to hold Myanmar responsible for genocide against the Rohingya, as the U.N.’s top court prepares to open public hearings in a landmark case brought by The Gambia.
The hearings, scheduled to begin on January 11, mark the first full merits proceedings in a genocide case at the ICJ in more than a decade. The case alleges that Myanmar violated its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention through systematic violence and long-term persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
Fortify Rights said the court should adopt a broad legal interpretation of genocide that reflects the full range of abuses suffered by the Rohingya, including mass killings, sexual and gender-based violence, denial of citizenship, and policies that created conditions intended to destroy the group in whole or in part.
“This trial represents a direct challenge to the Myanmar junta’s grip on power and impunity,” said Zaw Win, senior human rights specialist at Fortify Rights. “Impunity depends on silence, and justice begins with recognizing what the Rohingya — and others affected by atrocity crimes in Myanmar — have endured.”
The case centers on military-led operations in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2016 and 2017, which forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. However, the proceedings also examine what The Gambia argues is a broader and ongoing pattern of genocidal conduct against the group.
Hearings are expected to run until January 29 and will include legal arguments, expert submissions, and witness testimony. Fortify Rights’ founder and chief executive, Matthew Smith, is attending the proceedings in The Hague as part of The Gambia’s official delegation.
“In nearly 80 years, the world’s highest court has ruled on genocide only twice,” Smith said. “If this case were merely symbolic, the Myanmar military would ignore it. Instead, it has mobilized its full legal and political machinery.”
Several countries — including Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Netherlands — have formally intervened in support of The Gambia’s case. No state has intervened on Myanmar’s behalf.
The ICJ has previously ordered provisional measures requiring Myanmar to prevent genocidal acts and preserve evidence, orders that rights groups say the military authorities have continued to disregard, particularly since the 2021 coup that dismantled domestic accountability mechanisms.
Rights advocates say the outcome of the case could have far-reaching implications for international law, clarifying how genocide is defined and enforced — and whether states can be held accountable for long-term, structural persecution as well as mass violence.
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