World Court Moves Closer to Judgment in Rohingya Genocide Case Against Myanmar

The International Court of Justice has concluded hearings in a landmark case that could determine whether Myanmar violated the Genocide Convention through its treatment of the Rohingya people. The case, brought by The Gambia in 2019, alleges that Myanmar’s military campaign in 2016–2017 amounted to genocide against the Muslim Rohingya minority.

During the hearings, judges heard testimony detailing mass killings, sexual violence, the burning of villages, and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya civilians. Survivors described children being shot or burned alive and women subjected to systematic rape, accounts that mirror earlier findings by the United Nations and human rights organizations.

The Gambia argued that these acts demonstrate genocidal intent, pointing to the scale, coordination, and brutality of the military operations. Myanmar’s representatives rejected the accusations, maintaining that the actions were legitimate counterterrorism measures and denying any intent to destroy the Rohingya as a group.

Human Rights Watch emphasized that the case represents a rare opportunity for international accountability, particularly as Rohingya who remain in Myanmar continue to face restrictions on movement, access to healthcare, and basic citizenship rights (Human Rights Watch, 2026). Although a final ruling is not expected for several months, the conclusion of hearings marks a critical moment in a process that many survivors see as their only path toward justice.

For Rohingya communities living in refugee camps in Bangladesh and across the diaspora, the case carries symbolic weight beyond its legal outcome. As Gambian Justice Minister Dawda Jallow stated during opening arguments, the case is not about abstract legal principles but about “real people, real stories, and a real group of human beings” whose suffering has long gone unanswered (International Court of Justice, 2026).