Rohingya Survivors Face Myanmar at World Court

For the first time in more than a decade, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has heard detailed testimony from Rohingya survivors in a genocide case against Myanmar’s military.

The hearings, held in The Hague from 12 to 29 January, mark a pivotal moment in a long struggle for justice after the mass killings and forced displacement of the Rohingya minority in 2017.

The case, brought by The Gambia in 2019, accuses Myanmar of breaching the Genocide Convention. Over two weeks of oral arguments and a final week of rebuttals, victims supported by the NGO Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) travelled from refugee camps in Bangladesh to testify. In a rare move for interstate proceedings, witnesses described the military’s “clearance operations” in closed chambers, recounting sexual violence, attacks on children and mass killings.

“Rohingya have been persecuted in Myanmar for decades. We did not know that legal proceedings existed, and we could fight for our rights. But this time, we have the tools to defend ourselves and demand accountability,” said Salma, a survivor whose name has been changed for protection.

The European Union, which helped fund the initiative alongside Canada, called the testimonies a powerful stand against impunity. “What this community has endured is a stain on our collective humanity. Accountability is not optional,” said Michael Miller, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh.

The hearings come as Myanmar’s junta continues to tighten its grip through elections widely seen as an attempt to legitimise its rule, while reports of ongoing abuses persist. For Rohingya survivors, the ICJ represents a rare chance to confront their persecutors on the global stage.

At the close of the hearings, Rohingya victims joined survivors from Bosnia, Iraq, Palestine and Sudan in a “Survivors’ Dialogue” hosted by the EU in The Hague, underscoring the universal demand for justice in the face of atrocity.

The ICJ will announce its decision at a later date. For the Rohingya, who have endured years of displacement and violence, the hope is that the world’s highest court will finally deliver accountability—and a measure of peace.

-2026-02-13