Public hearing on Rohingya genocide in ICJ from February 21.

A public hearing on the objections raised by Myanmar's military junta in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's highest court in the Rohingya genocide case, is set to begin on February 21. The hearing is scheduled for February 21, 23, 25 and 28 at the Peace Palace in The Hague in the Netherlands, the ICJ said in a press release on Wednesday.

Public hearing on Rohingya genocide in ICJ from February 21.

The hearing will be held in a mixed manner due to the epidemic situation. Some members of the court will be present at the Great Hall of Justice. The rest will take part in the proceedings through video conferencing.

Representatives of both parties to the case will be able to attend the hearing directly or using the video link and instructions will be available on the court's website.

In addition, the diplomatic corps, media personnel and the public will be able to watch the hearing live on the court's website and live webcast on UN Web TV.

The junta of Myanmar has challenged the jurisdiction of the ICJ in the case filed by the West African country Gambia alleging indiscriminate genocide of Rohingya villages. This time the public hearing will be mainly on the objection of Myanmar.

Earlier, in January 2020, the ICJ had given time to complainant Gambia and accused Myanmar to submit their legal arguments.

The Gambia was asked to present its legal arguments by July 23 of that year. Myanmar, on the other hand, was given until January 25, 2021 to present its case against the accused. But in the context of the coronavirus epidemic around the world, the activities of this case went downhill.

The lawsuit alleges that Myanmar violated the 1984 International Genocide Convention with its brutal crackdown on Rohingya villages in Rakhine five years ago.

Incidentally, in the International Court of Justice, a member state of the United Nations may file charges against another country for violating international law. This court cannot convict any individual, as the International Criminal Court (ICC) can. The ICC is separately investigating the Rohingya genocide.

The member countries have a legal obligation to abide by the decision of the court if a case is filed in the ICJ. And there is no opportunity to appeal against that decision. However, the court has no power to force the decision. There are also many examples of ignoring decisions.

The final verdict of the UN Supreme Court on the Rohingya genocide could take years.