ICC Seeks Arrest Warrant for Myanmar Junta Chief Over Crimes Against Rohingya

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has applied for an arrest warrant for Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar’s military junta, over alleged crimes against humanity against the Rohingya Muslim minority, Arab News reported yesterday.

This request follows a long-standing investigation into the military’s violent crackdown in 2017, which resulted in nearly a million Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh.

The ICC authorized the investigation in 2019, citing reasonable grounds to believe that systematic violence may have occurred. Although Myanmar is not a party to the ICC, Bangladesh’s ratification of the Rome Statute allows jurisdiction over cross-border crimes involving the Rohingya.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced the warrant application during a visit to Bangladesh, emphasizing that it is the first against a high-ranking Myanmar official since the investigation began. The application is supported by various forms of evidence, including witness testimonies and documentary materials.