Gambia Briefs OIC Summit on Rohingya Trial Progress, Calls for More Support
Islamabad, Pakistan, 23rd March 2022 – On the sidelines of the ongoing 48th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Summit in Islamabad, Pakistan, The Gambia on Tuesday provided a detailed update on the case it filed at the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Myanmar for the acts of genocide perpetrated against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
The Gambia, represented by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Dawda A. Jallow chaired the Adhoc Ministerial Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations Against the Rohingya where it outlined an updated status on the case, especially the recent hearing in February 2022.
The minister revealed that The Gambia won a lawsuit in the United States against Facebook to have access to the social media accounts used by the Myanmar military to spread anti-Rohingya hate propaganda online.
‘’The lawsuit has successfully obtained contents of Facebook accounts that were controlled by Myanmar’s military, and which Facebook removed from its platform after Facebook determined that the accounts were used to spread anti-Rohingya hate propaganda in violation of Facebook’s terms of services’’, Minister Jallow stated revealing that the ruling is a big boost for the Gambia’s evidence collection efforts.
The Attorney General added that a 4-day hearing was held on Myanmar’s Preliminary Objections to the Court’s jurisdiction from 21-28 February 2022. The Gambia had opposed the objection and a ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.
On support for the financial status of the legal case, the Attorney General urged OIC member states to step up and show strong solidarity with the cause of the Rohingyas by contributing voluntarily to meet the legal expenses of the case.
The OIC Secretary-General, H.E. Hissein Brahim Taha, praised the pivotal role of The Gambia in leading the Organization’s efforts on the international stage to ensure that Myanmar is held accountable for the atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslims.
While reiterating that the Rohingya case is one of the top priorities on the OIC’s agenda, he pointed out that the case sends a strong message to the international community about the Organization’s collective and coordinated work to support the Rohingya people.