The Argentine Prosecutor investigating the genocide against the Rohingya formally petitioned the Argentinian Court on to issue twenty-five arrest warrants for genocide and crimes against humanity under Article 294 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Argentina. The Burmese Rohingya Organisation UL (BROUL) brought the case forward under the principle of universal jurisdiction, and announced that they had been informed of the petition on Friday.

The recent petition follows BROUK’s original request for warrants in December 2023, targeting several high-ranking Burmese military officials, including:

• Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief and leader of the 2021 military coup;
• Soe Win, Deputy Commander-in-Chief;
• Aung Kyaw Zaw, Commander of the Bureau of Special Operations No. 3;
• Maung Maung Soe, Chief of the Army’s Western Command;
• Aung Aung, Commander of the Army’s Light Infantry Battalion No. 33;
• Kyaw Shay, police officer;
• Aung San Mya, village Chairman;

Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, said, “Today we are one more step closer to finally seeing the first ever arrests warrants for Min Aung Hlaing and senior members of the Burmese military.” Khin continued “The decision to request arrest warrants sends a clear message to the Burmese military that they will not be able to escape accountability for their crimes.” He went on to not that this was the “with the first-ever request by an independent prosecutor for arrest warrants for the heinous crimes committed by the Burmese military.”

The targeted individuals are accused of orchestrating genocide against the Rohingya, and of committing atrocities against other communities in Burma, including crimes against humanity since the military coup in February 2021. These alleged crimes are ongoing.”Today, we are one step closer to securing the first-ever arrest warrants against Min Aung Hlaing and senior Burmese military officials,” Khin said. “This decision sends a clear message that the Burmese military cannot escape accountability for their crimes.”

The Argentine Prosecutor’s request extends beyond BROUK’s initial scope, including calls for arrest warrants for Aung San Suu Kyi and Htin Kyaw. BROUK has emphasized the importance of prioritizing the accountability of the Burmese military and Min Aung Hlaing in line with their December 2023 request. BROUK first filed the complaint to the Argentine judiciary in 2019, with the case officially opening in 2021. This represents the first universal jurisdiction case worldwide concerning the Rohingya genocide.

This comes as nearly five years after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures to protect the Rohingya. For decades, the predominantly Muslim Rohingya have endured violence, displacement, and human rights abuses and despite the ICJ’s order, Rohingya communities continue to face atrocities in Rakhine State.