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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver its judgment on November 19, 2026, in a landmark case filed by The Gambia against Myanmar over alleged violations of the UN Genocide Convention in connection with atrocities committed against the Rohingya community, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday.
According to HRW, the case concerns allegations of genocide against the Rohingya by Myanmar's security forces during a military campaign launched in August 2017 in northern Rakhine State. Over 700,000 Rohingya were displaced from Myanmars Rakhine State during the military crackdown, fleeing primarily to neighbouring Bangladesh. "In August 2017, Myanmars security forces began a sweeping campaign of massacres, rape, and arson against ethnic Rohingya in northern Rakhine State that forced more than 700,000 people to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh," HRW said. The organisation recalled that The Gambia filed the case before the ICJ in November 2019, alleging that Myanmar's atrocities against the Rohingya violated the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Clarifying the nature of the proceedings, HRW said the case was not a criminal trial against individuals but sought a legal determination of Myanmar's state responsibility for genocide. The International Court of Justices Myanmar judgement will mark a crucial moment in the Rohingyas quest for justice, said Maria Elena Vignoli, Senior International Justice Counsel at Human Rights Watch. The ruling will also be a stark reminder that the oppression of the Rohingya is ongoing and that rights-respecting countries need to act decisively to support them, promote justice for atrocities, and ensure their safe and voluntary return, she added. HRW further noted that the November 19 judgement would be final, with no possibility of appeal, bringing the proceedings in the case before the court to a conclusion. (ANI)
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