Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar for neighboring Bangladesh. ICC prosecutor requests arrest warrant for Myanmar’s acting president International Law
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has filed a request for an arrest warrant for Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Myanmar’s armed forces and the country’s acting president, on charges of involvement in crimes against humanity against the Rohingya.
“My Office has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Senior General and Acting President Min Aung Hlaing is criminally responsible for crimes against humanity related to the deportation and persecution of the Rohingya committed in Myanmar and parts of Bangladesh,” ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement.
Countless Atrocities
The charges relate to alleged crimes committed between August 25 and December 31, 2017, by the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, in coordination with police, border guards and some non-Rohingya civilians.
In addition to more than a million Rohingya being forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in Bangladesh, there have been countless reports of atrocities, including the systematic killing of an estimated 10,000 Rohingya men, women, children and newborns.
In addition, there have been reports of widespread gender-based and sexual violence, and more than 300 villages have been burned to the ground.
Further actions
“This is the first arrest warrant request we have filed for a senior Myanmar government official. More will follow,” Khan said.
He expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the Rohingya community. He also noted that the support of the Bangladesh government and the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar are essential to the investigation.
The decision to issue an arrest warrant rests with the judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC. They will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant further action. If the warrant is approved, the Prosecutor will work with the ICC Registrar to coordinate efforts to arrest Min Aung Hlaing. Min Aung Hlaing has been in power since February 2021, when the military overthrew the elected government, arresting hundreds of officials, political leaders and activists.