Overview
- Hearings began Jan. 12 in The Hague, with The Gambia presenting through Jan. 15 and Myanmar scheduled to respond Jan. 16–20, with proceedings running to Jan. 29.
- Judges set three closed days for Rohingya survivor testimony, the first time victims will be heard in full merits proceedings at the World Court.
- The Gambia alleges the 2017 military crackdown forced roughly 730,000–750,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh with mass killings, rape and arson, while Myanmar denies genocide and cites counterterrorism operations.
- The ICJ ordered provisional measures in 2020 to prevent genocidal acts and in 2022 rejected Myanmar’s bid to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.
- Legal observers say the outcome could influence South Africa’s separate ICJ case concerning Israel, as the ICC pursues individual accountability including a requested arrest warrant for Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.