Prosecutor Khan has requested an arrest warrant against the commander of Myanmar's armed forces, Min Aung Hlaing.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step in the investigation into crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Rohingya population in Myanmar. Four years after the opening of the investigations, Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan — the same who issued the arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for crimes being committed against the Palestinian people — has requested the issuance of an arrest warrant against the prime minister and commander-in-chief of Myanmar's armed forces, Min Aung Hlaing. This action represents the first formal charge against a senior official of the Burmese government for involvement in the violence that forced more than one million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
The investigation has revealed that between 25 August and 31 December 2017, Myanmar's armed forces, supported by the national police, the border police and non-Rohingya civilians, committed crimes of deportation and persecution against the Muslim Rohingya minority. The military operation had devastating consequences: villages razed to the ground, systematic rape, mass killings and a forced flight to Bangladesh.
According to the ICC prosecutor, these crimes are supported by a vast body of evidence, including direct testimonies, documents, verified photographic and video material, as well as scientific data. The support of states, civil society organisations and international institutions — such as the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (Iimm), established by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2018 — played a crucial role in gathering this evidence.
In his press release, the prosecutor expressed deep gratitude to the Rohingya community, which, despite immense suffering, has actively cooperated with the investigations. "The testimonies of the women, young activists and elders I met in the Kutupalong refugee camps, in Cox's Bazar, speak of a shared determination: to obtain justice and accountability for what they have endured," said Karim Khan.
These meetings have strengthened the ICC's commitment to ensuring that the Rohingya are not forgotten and that international law also protects the most vulnerable populations. The arrest warrant request will now be assessed by the ICC's independent judges, who will decide whether to issue the order against Min Aung Hlaing. If approved, the Court will work with its partners to secure the arrest and surrender of the accused.
The office of Prosecutor Khan has reaffirmed its determination to pursue further arrest requests against others responsible for the violence. This moment marks an important turning point for the investigations and for the fight against impunity, demonstrating that no one is above the law.
The ICC's action represents not only an attempt to redress the injustices suffered by the Rohingya, but also a strong signal to the international community: justice can and must prevail, even in the most challenging circumstances.