World Court says it has preliminary jurisdiction in Myanmar genocide case

Presiding Judge Yusuf Abdulqawi, in the first minutes of reading the court’s decision, said the court does have sufficient jurisdiction to decide on the request for emergency measures in the case, which was brought by Gambia.

The International Court of Justice said on Thursday that it has jurisdiction to hear a case against Myanmar seeking emergency measures to prevent it committing genocide against its Rohingya minority.

Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks on the second day of hearings in a case filed by Gambia against Myanmar alleging genocide against the minority Muslim Rohingya population, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands December 11, 2019. (REUTERS)

Presiding Judge Yusuf Abdulqawi, in the first minutes of reading the court’s decision, said the court does have sufficient jurisdiction to decide on the request for emergency measures in the case, which was brought by Gambia.

“The court concludes that prima facie it has jurisdiction under the Genocide Convention,” he said.

Abdulqawi was still reading Thursday’s ruling and has not said whether the court will actually order any emergency measures.

Gambia’s case in full against Myanmar could take years and would require a more complete ruling on jurisdiction.