ICC Authorizes Investigation into Situation in Bangladesh/Myanmar [1]
On November 14, 2019, Pre-Trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced its decision [3] to allow the Prosecutor to proceed with an investigation into alleged crimes in the Situation in the People's Republic of Bangladesh/Republic of the Union of Myanmar. A press release [4] issued by the Court explains that, "[t]he Chamber concluded that the Court may exercise jurisdiction over crimes when part of the criminal conduct takes place on the territory of a State Party. While Myanmar is not a State Party, Bangladesh ratified the ICC Rome statute in 2010 . . . the Chamber accepted that there exists a reasonable basis to believe widespread and/or systematic acts of violence may have been committed that could qualify as the crimes against humanity of deportation across the Myanmar-Bangladesh border and persecution on grounds of ethnicity and/or religion against the Rohingya population." The investigation will proceed until the required evidence is gathered, and the Prosecutor will determine whether summonses to appear or warrants of arrest should be issued to specific individuals.