Hague: The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will hold public hearings in January 2026 in the case concerning allegations of genocide against Myanmar over its treatment of the Rohingya community.

In a press release issued on Friday, the ICJ said the hearings in the case titled Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar), with the intervention of 11 States, will take place from January 12 to January 29, 2026, at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

The case was instituted on November 11, 2019, when The Gambia filed an application accusing Myanmar of violating its obligations under the UN Genocide Convention in relation to alleged acts committed against the Rohingya population. Myanmar has consistently denied the genocide allegations, which stem from a military crackdown in 2017 that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee the country.

According to the ICJ, The Gambia has asked the Court to declare that Myanmar breached its obligations under the Genocide Convention, to order an immediate cessation of any wrongful acts, to require reparations for Rohingya victims, and to provide assurances and guarantees of non-repetition.

The Gambia invoked Article IX of the Genocide Convention to establish the Court’s jurisdiction and requested provisional measures alongside its application. In January 2020, the ICJ ordered Myanmar to take steps to prevent acts falling under the Convention and to preserve evidence related to the allegations.

Both parties have since submitted written pleadings in two rounds. The upcoming hearings will focus on the merits of the case and will include the examination of witnesses and expert testimony, the Court said.

Observers note that the proceedings could have broader international implications, including potential influence on other genocide-related cases currently before the ICJ.