The judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday authorized an investigation into crimes committed in Myanmar against the Rohingya Muslim minority, including violence and deportation that may constitute crimes against humanity.
The Hague-based court said in a statement it had "allowed the prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court" relating to Myanmar. The court is empowered to try the world's worst atrocities.
ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opened a preliminary investigation in September 2018 after the court declared its jurisdiction to investigate the deportation of this Muslim minority, which could constitute a crime against humanity.
Bensouda then asked in June 2019 to open an actual investigation that gave the judges the green light on Thursday.
In August 2017, more than 740,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar after an army offensive in response to Rohingya attacks on border posts.
Faced with persecution of the Myanmar armed forces and Buddhist militias, the Rohingya sought refuge in makeshift camps in Bangladesh.
Although Myanmar is not a member of the Rome Statute, the Constitutional Treaty of the Court, the Court declared that it was competent to investigate the alleged deportation of the Rohingya to Bangladesh to which it was a party.
Myanmar rejected the ICC decision and condemned it.
The Gambia, commissioned by 57 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, filed a lawsuit before the International Criminal Court against Myanmar on Monday for "genocide" against the Muslim Rohingya minority.