International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has laid emphasis on accelerating efforts to bring justice for the Rohingyas.
At a media briefing in Dhaka on Friday afternoon, he said there is a gap between promises and delivery of justice. Chief prosecutor Karim Khan visited Cox’s Bazar to hear testimony from survivors of alleged genocide by Myanmar’s military against its Rohingya population.
"I gave a commitment to the Rohingyas," he said, adding that he would come again next year as they seek to find out who is responsible. The ICC prosecutor said he has done his best to increase resources for the case.
On a visit to Kutupalong Camp, Karim Khan met with Rohingya youth groups to discuss ICC activities and consider how young people can contribute to justice efforts. He said it is essential to empower children and young adults as valued partners in the process of accountability.
In the first meeting at Kutupalong Camp, Khan spoke with Rohingya women groups. He highlighted the common vision that needed to increase access to reporting mechanisms, deepen understanding of ICC work, and deliver results through independent investigations.
The Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp is home to over 1.1 million Rohingyas that fled violence in Myanmar. Prosecutor Khan explained the objectives of his visit and their ongoing work with the survivors and the families of the victims. He said Bangladesh is holding the flag of justice and thanked its generosity in sheltering the Rohingyas.
Earlier, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen sought efforts from the ICC to resolve the case related to the Rohingyas as soon as possible — to ensure that genocide never happens again anywhere in the world.
"You should put in effort to finish the case as fast as possible. Justice delayed, justice denied," he said to the ICC prosecutor on Tuesday.
In November 2019, the International Criminal Court judges granted a request to open a full investigation into alleged atrocities committed against the Rohingyas within the jurisdiction of the court.
This authorisation to open an investigation is seen as a “significant development” for the pursuit of justice and the establishment of the truth, in particular for the victims of alleged crimes in this situation.
Investigators from the Office of the Prosecutor are now carefully and thoroughly seeking to uncover the truth regarding what happened to the Rohingya people in Myanmar which forced them to flee to Bangladesh. Momen said those involved in the Rohingya genocide should be held accountable. "We say genocide never again."
