ICC prosecutor seeks Rohingya probe of crimes against humanity

4 Jul, 2019 16:24 / Updated 5 years ago

The International Criminal Court prosecutor has filed a request with judges to open a formal investigation of crimes against humanity allegedly committed against Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, AP reported.

Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda wants to investigate crimes of deportation, inhumane acts and persecution allegedly committed as the Rohingya were driven from Myanmar, which is not a member of the global court, into Bangladesh, which is an ICC member.

Bensouda said on Thursday that a preliminary probe established “a reasonable basis to believe that at least 700,000 Rohingya people were deported from Myanmar to Bangladesh through a range of coercive acts.” Their right to return to their state of origin was also violated, according to the prosecutor.