Human rights watchdog Fortify Rights has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by the Arakan Army (AA) against Rohingya civilians in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
In a report released Wednesday (July 23), Fortify Rights said the AA — an ethnic armed group engaged in conflict with the Myanmar military junta — has carried out widespread abuses including abductions, torture, killings, and beheadings of Rohingya people.
The organization’s latest investigation documents grave violations of international humanitarian law in villages and ad-hoc detention centers controlled by the AA, which now dominates much of Rakhine State.

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International Criminal Court

“The Arakan Army is responsible for widespread abductions, brutal torture and the murder of Rohingya, some of whom were found beheaded, in blatant violation of the laws of war,” said Ejaz Min Khant, Human Rights Specialist at Fortify Rights.
The group stressed that the ICC has jurisdiction over these crimes and called for the prosecution of those responsible within the Arakan Army leadership.

Displaced people by Arakan Army /FIle Image


Between April and July 2025, Fortify Rights interviewed 39 Rohingya survivors and witnesses — including eight women — who directly experienced or observed abuses by the AA in 2024 and 2025. The organization also reviewed photographic and video evidence substantiating the allegations.

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People looking for safety after an air strike/File Image


“The Arakan Army must end its campaign of torture and killings of Rohingya in detention facilities and villages,” said Khant. “If it wants to be recognized as a legitimate revolutionary force, it must adhere to international law, protect civilians, and be held accountable for the atrocities it has committed.”
Over the past six months, the Arakan Army has intensified its campaign of violence in northern Rakhine State, targeting Rohingya communities with systematic human rights violations. Reports from humanitarian monitors and local sources reveal that hundreds of civilians have been forcibly displaced, dozens abducted for ransom, and entire villages subjected to arbitrary raids, extortion, and enforced disappearances. These ongoing abuses have deepened the humanitarian crisis and raised alarm among international rights groups, who warn that the AA’s actions amount to collective punishment of an already persecuted population.

 

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