Source: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_rul_rule114
Timestamp: 2019-08-26 01:25:52
Document Index: 592697515

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 10', '§ 68', '§ 69', '§ 24', '§ 26', '§ 6', '§ 262', '§ 18', '§ 6', '§ 7', '§ 14', '§ 76', '§ 23', '§ 169', '§ 217', '§ 262']

Customary IHL - Practice Relating to Rule 114. Return of the Remains and Personal Effects of the Dead
2. Practice\Rule 114
Article 17, third paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention I provides: “[A]n Official Graves Registration Service [shall be established] to allow … the possible transportation of the remains to the home country. These provisions shall likewise apply to the ashes”.
Article 120, sixth paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention III provides, with regard to the possibility of return of the remains to the home country:
Responsibility … for records of any subsequent moves of the bodies shall rest on the Power controlling the territory … These provisions shall also apply to the ashes, which shall be kept by the Graves Registration Service until proper disposal thereof in accordance with the wishes of the home country.
Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Geneva, 12 August 1949, Article 120, sixth para.
Article 130, second paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention IV provides: “The ashes [of deceased internees] shall be retained for safe-keeping by the detaining authorities and shall be transferred as soon as possible to the next of kin on their request.”
Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Geneva, 12 August 1949, Article 130, second para.
Article II(13)(f) of the 1953 Panmunjom Armistice Agreement provides:
[T]he Commanders of the opposing sides shall:
f. In those cases where places of burial are a matter of record and graves are actually found to exist, permit graves registration personnel of the other side to enter, within a definite time limit after this Armistice Agreement becomes effective, the territory of Korea under their military control, for the purpose of proceeding to such graves to recover and evacuate the bodies of the deceased military personnel of that side, including deceased prisoners of war.
Agreement between the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, on the one hand, and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army and the Commander of the Chinese People’s Volunteers, on the other hand, concerning a Military Armistice in Korea, Panmunjom, 27 July 1953, Article II(13)(f).
Article 8(b) of the 1973 Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet-Nam contains provisions designed “to facilitate … repatriation of remains”.
(c) to facilitate the return of the remains of the deceased … to the home country upon its request or, unless that country objects, upon the request of the next of kin.
The 1992 Finnish-Russian Agreement on War Dead provides for cooperation in relation to the identification and return of the remains of soldiers dating from the Second World War.
The 1997 Estonian-Finnish Agreement on War Dead provides for cooperation in relation to the identification and return of the remains of soldiers dating from the Second World War.
Proposal 1.2 of the 1991 Plan of Operation for the Joint Commission to Trace Missing Persons and Mortal Remains in the context of the former Yugoslavia provided: “At the request of the party on which the deceased depended, the parties to the conflict shall organize the handover of the mortal remains.”
Joint Commission to Trace Missing Persons and Mortal Remains: Rules of Procedure and Plan of Operation, established on the Basis of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Serbia, Yugoslav People’s Army and International Committee of the Red Cross, Pècs, 16 December 1991, Proposal 1.2.
Article 3(4) of Part IV of the 1998 Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and IHL in the Philippines provides that “breach of [the] duty to tender immediately [the remains of those who have died in the course of the armed conflict or while under detention] to their families” shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to persons hors de combat.
Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, The Hague, 16 March 1998, Part IV, Article 3(4).
Argentina’s Law of War Manual (1969) provides that ashes “shall be kept by the Graves Registration Service until the home country makes known what arrangements it wants made”.
Australia’s Defence Force Manual (1994) provides: “The ashes of the deceased shall be forwarded to the Graves Registration and the ashes exchanged as soon as practical following the conclusion of hostilities.”
Australia, Manual on Law of Armed Conflict, Australian Defence Force Publication, Operations Series, ADFP 37 – Interim Edition, 1994, § 9-100.
Australia’s LOAC Manual (2006) states: “The ashes of the deceased shall be forwarded to Graves Registration and the ashes exchanged as soon as practicable following the conclusion of hostilities.”
Australia, The Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict, Australian Defence Doctrine Publication 06.4, Australian Defence Headquarters, 11 May 2006, § 9.105.
Belgium’s Specific Procedure on the Prisoners of War Information Bureau (2007) provides: “If the remains of enemy combatants are situated in a territory under the control of Belgian armed forces, the PWIB [Prisoners of War Information Bureau] shall … be informed as soon as possible.”
Belgium, Structure et fonctionnement du Bureau de Renseignements sur les prisonniers de guerre, Procédure spécifique, Ministère de la Défense, 2007, p. 9, § 10(d)(1).
Chad’s Instructor’s Manual (2006) states: “Facilities must be provided for the remains and the ashes of the deceased … to be returned to their country of origin.”
Croatia’s LOAC Compendium (1991) provides that one of the measures required after a conflict is to return ashes and remains.
Hungary’s Military Manual (1992) provides that one of the measures required after a conflict is to return ashes and remains of the dead.
Hungary, A Hadijog, Jegyzet a Katonai, Föiskolák Hallgatói Részére, Magyar Honvédség Szolnoki Repülötiszti Föiskola, 1992, p. 38.
Peru’s IHL Manual (2004) states: “Efforts must be made to facilitate the return of the bodily remains or ashes of the deceased.”
Peru, Manual de Derecho Internacional Humanitario para las Fuerzas Armadas, Resolución Ministerial Nº 1394-2004-DE/CCFFAA/CDIH-FFAA, Lima, 1 December 2004, § 68.c.
Peru’s IHL and Human Rights Manual (2010) states: “Efforts must be made to facilitate the return of the bodily remains or ashes of the deceased … to their country of origin.”
Peru, Manual de Derecho Internacional Humanitario y Derechos Humanos para las Fuerzas Armadas, Resolución Ministerial No. 049-2010/DE/VPD, Lima, 21 May 2010, § 69(c), p. 269.
- facilitate the return of the remains of the deceased and his personal effects to the home country upon that country’s request or that of the next of kin.
Spain’s LOAC Manual (1996) provides that when bodies have been cremated, the ashes of the deceased shall be forwarded to the Graves Registration Authority and handed over to relatives as soon as practicable.
Spain, Orientaciones. El Derecho de los Conflictos Armados, Publicación OR7-004, 2 Tomos, aprobado por el Estado Mayor del Ejército, Division de Operaciones, 18 March 1996, Vol. I, Article 5.2.d.(6).
Efforts must be made to facilitate the return of the bodily remains or ashes of the deceased … to their country of origin.
Ashes must be returned through evacuation channels to the graves registration service.
Switzerland’s Basic Military Manual (1987) provides: “If possible, the remains of the deceased shall be repatriated to the country of origin, according to special agreements.”
Switzerland, Lois et coutumes de la guerre (Extrait et commentaire), Règlement 51.7/II f, Armée Suisse, 1987, Article 71(2).
The US Field Manual (1956) provides that an Official Graves Registration Service “shall allow … the possible transportation to the home country” of the bodies exhumed. The manual adds that the ashes “shall be kept by the Graves Registration Service until proper disposal thereof in accordance with the wishes of the home country”.
The Annotated Supplement to the US Naval Handbook (1997) provides that “as soon as circumstances permit, arrangement be made to … facilitate the return of the remains when requested”.
The appropriate authorities and governmental bodies of the Azerbaijan Republic shall ensure that the necessary measures be taken that: … the places where dead bodies … were buried should be marked … and recorded … with the aim to return back these dead bodies … following a request from the parties and close relatives of the dead persons.
Azerbaijan, Law concerning the Protection of Civilian Persons and the Rights of Prisoners of War, 1995, Article 29(5).
In a case before Colombia’s Administrative Court in Cundinamarca in 1985, it was stated that families must not be denied their legitimate right to claim the bodies of their relatives, transfer them to wherever they see fit, and bury them.
Colombia, Administrative Tribunal of Cundinamarca, Case No. 4010, Informe del Tribunal Especial de Instrucción, 6–7 November 1985, cuaderno de pruebas.
According to the Report on the Practice of Egypt, it is the well-established practice of Egypt to exchange and repatriate mortal remains, in order to enable burial in accordance with the wishes of the deceased and their families.
In 1996, the Greek observer to the UN Commission on Human Rights stressed that if the deaths of persons missing in Cyprus were confirmed, their remains would be returned to their families.
Greece, Statement before the UN Commission on Human Rights, UN Doc. E/CN.4/ 1996/SR.46, 22 May 1996, § 24.
In 1991, the Asian Yearbook of International Law reported that the “ashes of 3,500 Japanese soldiers killed during World War II in Irian Jaya were handed over by Indonesia to the Japanese Ambassador at Jakarta”.
Asian Yearbook of International Law, Vol. 1, 1991, p. 354.
In 2011, Iraq’s Ministry of Human Rights issued a press release entitled “Statement: The [M]inistry of [H]uman [R]ights receives 38 remains from the Iranian side”, which stated:
The [M]inistry of [H]uman Rights had received on Tuesday Feb. 01, 2011 [at the] Shalamja border crossing the remains of 38 Iraqi martyrs that lost their lives during the Iraqi-Iranian war. … Five of the martyrs received were of known identity and [this] shall be duly published after testing and inspection, to be delivered to their families. The names of the known martyrs were published by the [M]inistry in the media … and were not received by their families yet.
It is worth mentioning that the number of remains received from [the] Iranian side had reached 249, some of them of known and [some of] unknown identities[,] while 52 Iranian remains were handed over to the Iranian side from 2003 until this date[.]
Iraq, Ministry of Human Rights, “Statement: The [M]inistry of [H]uman [R]ights receives 38 remains from the Iranian side”, Press Release, 2 February 2011.
In 2011, Iraq’s Ministry of Human Rights issued a press release entitled “The Min[is]try of Human Rights hands over remains [from the] Iraq-Iran war to the Iranian sid[e]”, which stated:
The Iraqi side, represented by the [M]inistry of [H]uman [R]ights, handed over to Iran the remains of 17 Iranians [on] April 04, 2011 through [the] Al-Shalamja border crossing. … It is worth mentioning that Iran handed over to Iraq 38 remains of Iraqi martyrs, 6 of which were of known identity and [whose] names were published in local media.
The exchange of remains process between the two sides shall continue as soon as such remains are found[,] according to the two MOUs signed by Iraq[,] represented by the Ministry of Human Rights[,] and Iran, in coordi[n]ation with the ICRC.
Iraq, Ministry of Human Rights, “The Min[is]try of Human Rights hands over remains [from the] Iraq-Iran war to the Iranian sid[e]”, Press Release, 4 April 2011.
According to the Report on the Practice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is the opinio juris of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on practice in the Iran–Iraq War, that attempts should be made to return the bodies of dead combatants to the relevant party.
Report on the Practice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1997, Chapter 5.1, referring to Statement by the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, 15 November 1980 and Military Communiqué No. 2176, 27 July 1985.
In 1987, the Deputy Legal Adviser of the US Department of State affirmed: “We support … the principle that each party to a conflict permit teams to … facilitate the return of the remains when requested”.
Calls upon parties to armed conflicts, regardless of their character and location, during and after the end of hostilities and in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, to take such action as may be within their power … to facilitate the disinterment and the return of remains, if requested by their families.
In 1996, in a report concerning Liberia, the UN Secretary-General reported that UNOMIL had facilitated discussions on the release of the bodies of soldiers killed in the fighting, which the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO-J) had accepted on the understanding that concerns about its own combatants would be considered.
UN Secretary-General, Fifteenth progress report on the UNOMIL, UN Doc. S/1996/47, 23 January 1996, § 26.
The 22nd International Conference of the Red Cross in 1973 adopted a resolution on the missing and dead in armed conflicts in which it called on parties to armed conflicts “during hostilities and after cessation of hostilities … to facilitate the disinterment and return of remains”.
The Plan of Action for the years 2000–2003 adopted in 1999 by the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent proposed that all the parties to an armed conflict take effective measures to ensure that “every effort is made to identify dead persons, inform their families and return their bodies to them”.
In a case concerning Suriname before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 1989, it was reported that, in 1987, the military did not allow family members to collect the remains of a large number of dead following an attack by the National Army.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Case 10.124 (Suriname), Resolution, 27 September 1989, § 6(iv).
In a case concerning Colombia before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 1995, testimony was given to the effect that, in 1990, the witness was permitted by a Colombian brigade commander to collect the body of her husband for burial, following his death in an indiscriminate attack on a house suspected of harbouring guerrillas.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Case 11.010 (Colombia), Report, 13 September 1995, Section 11A(a).
To fulfil its task of disseminating IHL, the ICRC has delegates around the world teaching armed and security forces that: “The return of remains and ashes of the deceased … to the home State shall be facilitated.”
Frédéric de Mulinen, Handbook on the Law of War for Armed Forces, ICRC, Geneva, 1987, § 262.
The ICRC often acts as a neutral intermediary between the parties to the conflict regarding servicemen missing in action so that the mortal remains of combatants may be returned to the respective parties. For instance, in 1998, in the context of the conflict in Sri Lanka, the ICRC transported the remains of 1,014 government soldiers and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) combatants.
ICRC, Annual Report 1998, Geneva, 1999, p. 175.
The same year, it “repatriated the mortal remains of an Israeli soldier and of 40 Lebanese fighters to their respective countries”.
ICRC, Annual Report 1998, Geneva, 1999, p. 279.
Article 4, third paragraph, of the 1929 Geneva Convention provides that belligerents shall “collect and transmit to each other all articles of a personal nature found on the field of battle or on the dead”.
Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field, Geneva, 27 July 1929, Article 4, third para.
Article 16, fourth paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention I provides that parties to the conflict shall “collect and forward through the [Information Bureau] … money and in general all articles of an intrinsic or sentimental value, which are found on the dead”.
Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field, Geneva, 12 August 1949, Article 16, fourth para.
Article 19, third paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention II provides that parties to the conflict shall “collect and forward through the [Information Bureau] … money and in general all articles of an intrinsic or sentimental value, which are found on the dead”.
Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea, Geneva, 12 August 1949, Article 19, third para.
Article 122, ninth paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention III provides:
The Information Bureau shall furthermore be charged with collecting all personal valuables, including sums in currencies other than that of the Detaining Power and documents of importance to the next of kin, left by prisoners of war who have … died, and shall forward the said valuables to the Powers concerned.
Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Geneva, 12 August 1949, Article 122.
Article 139 of the 1949 Geneva Convention IV provides:
Each National Information Bureau shall, furthermore, be responsible for collecting all personal valuables left by [any protected persons who are kept in custody for more than two weeks, who are subjected to assigned residence or who are interned], in particular those who have … died; it shall forward the said valuables to those concerned, either direct, or, if necessary, through the Central Agency.
Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, Geneva, 12 August 1949, Article 139.
Article 34(2)(c) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I provides that as soon “as the circumstances and the relations between the adverse Parties permit, … [they] shall conclude agreements in order … to facilitate the return of the personal effects of the deceased”.
Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), Geneva, 8 June 1977, Article 34(2)(c). Article 34 was adopted by consensus. CDDH, Official Records, Vol. VI, CDDH/SR.37, 24 May 1977, p. 71.
18. With the exception of deceased United States personnel, all personal effects (including all personal and official papers) are removed from the remains and placed in a suitable receptacle. One identification tag/disc must be buried with the corpse. The second identification tag/disc, or the removable part, is placed in the receptacle with the personal effects. In the case of United States personnel, all personal effects and one identification tag are buried with the remains …
19. An inventory is to be made of the personal effects, checked and signed by an officer, and dispatched with the receptacle containing the personal effects.
Standardization Agreement 2070, Edition 4, Emergency War Burial Procedures, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Military Agency for Standardization, Brussels, 6 April 1999, §§ 18–19.
Article 20 of the 1880 Oxford Manual provides: “The articles … collected from the dead of the enemy are transmitted to its army or government.”
Argentina’s Law of War Manual (1989) provides that “last wills or other documents of importance to the family of the dead, money and in general all objects of an intrinsic or sentimental value which are found on the dead” shall be transmitted to the other party through its national Information Bureau.
Argentina, Leyes de Guerra, PC-08-01, Público, Edición 1989, Estado Mayor Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas, aprobado por Resolución No. 489/89 del Ministerio de Defensa, 23 April 1990, § 6.03.
Belgium’s Specific Procedure on the Prisoners of War Information Bureau (2007) states that the tasks of the PWIB (Prisoners of War Information Bureau) include: “collecting and transmitting all personal valuables, including money and documents useful to the next of kin, left by the prisoners of war who have been repatriated, released, escaped or died”.
Belgium, Structure et fonctionnement du Bureau de Renseignements sur les prisonniers de guerre, Procédure spécifique, Ministère de la Défense, 2007, p. 8, § 7(f).
The Specific Procedure further provides:
a. The PWIB shall furthermore be charged with collecting and forwarding to the States concerned all personal valuables, including sums of money and documents of importance to the next of kin, left by prisoners of war who have … died.
h. Likewise, the PWIB is to follow an identical procedure to remit to the family of a Belgian PW [prisoner of war] who … has … died, all valuables that the latter has left and that the CTA [Central Tracing Agency] or any other body has returned, except for strictly military articles. These shall be forwarded to the unit of the individual concerned, which should then return them to the family if the said articles prove to be of a personal nature.
Belgium, Structure et fonctionnement du Bureau de Renseignements sur les prisonniers de guerre, Procédure spécifique, Ministère de la Défense, 2007, pp. 11–12, § 14(a) and (h).
Benin’s Military Manual (1995) states: “Personal effects [of the dead] shall be collected and evacuated.”
Benin, Le Droit de la Guerre, III fascicules, Forces Armées du Bénin, Ministère de la Défense nationale, 1995, Fascicule II, p. 13.
The manual further states: “Identity cards and personal effects of the deceased shall be sent to superiors.”
Benin, Le Droit de la Guerre, III fascicules, Forces Armées du Bénin, Ministère de la Défense nationale, 1995, Fascicule III, p. 6.
Chad’s Instructor’s Manual (2006) states: “Facilities must be provided for the … personal effects [of the deceased] to be returned to their country of origin.”
Croatia’s LOAC Compendium (1991) provides that one of the measures required after a conflict is to return personal effects of the dead.
Croatia’s Commanders’ Manual (1992) states: “Personal effects of the dead shall be collected and evacuated to the rear.”
Croatia, Basic Rules of the Law of Armed Conflicts – Commanders’ Manual, Republic of Croatia, Ministry of Defence, 1992, § 76; see also LOAC Compendium (1991), p. 21.
Hungary’s Military Manual (1992) provides that one of the requirements after a conflict is the return of the personal effects of the dead.
Kenya’s LOAC Manual (1997) states: “Personal effects [of the dead] shall be collected and evacuated.”
Madagascar’s Military Manual (1994) provides: “The personal effects of the deceased shall be collected and evacuated to the rear.”
Madagascar, Le Droit des Conflits Armés, Ministère des Forces Armées, August 1994, Fiche No. 7-O, § 23.
Nigeria’s Manual on the Laws of War provides: “Money and articles of personal or sentimental value found on the dead must be forwarded to the enemy.”
Peru’s IHL Manual (2004) states: “Efforts must be made to facilitate the return of the … personal effects [of the deceased] to their country of origin.”
Peru’s IHL and Human Rights Manual (2010) states: “Efforts must be made to facilitate the return of … the personal effects [of the deceased] to their country of origin.”
2.6.1 Personal effects belonging to deceased United States nationals
All personal effects should remain with the body.
2.6.2 Personal effects belonging to deceased persons of other nationalities
All personal effects belonging to deceased persons of other nationalities, together with the relevant documents, should be archived and stored securely.
Personal effects belonging to deceased members of enemy forces shall be sent to the Information Bureau of the Polish Red Cross, in accordance with the regulations of the state in which the burial is performed.
The personal effects of deceased members of NATO allied forces shall be sent on by the Records Office to the relevant offices in those countries.
If it is not possible to establish the personal details of the deceased, their personal effects, and half of their identity tag shall be sent to the Records Office.
Poland, Norma Obronna NO-02-A053:2004, Działania wojenne Procedury pochówku poległych i zmarłych, enacted by decision No. 134/MON related to the Approval and Enforcement of Regulatory Instruments in Respect of State Defence and Security, 21 April 2009, published in the Official Gazette of the Ministry of National Defence, No. 8, Item 99, April 2009, Section 2.6.
After the burial, a proper statement shall be drawn up containing a description of the burial site (its precise coordinates), with enclosed lists of identified bodies, and specifying the number of unidentified bodies and their description. The statement shall be made in two copies.
The first copy of the burial statement, as well as the first copies of the inventory of the personal effects of the deceased and a cover letter, shall be sent to the army’s headquarters. As soon as circumstances permit and at the latest at the end of hostilities, the second copy of the statement with the enclosures and the parcels containing the personal effects of the deceased shall be handed over through international channels to the competent authorities of the adverse party.
Russian Federation, Regulations on the Application of International Humanitarian Law by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, Moscow, 8 August 2001, § 169.
Senegal’s IHL Manual (1999) provides that, in situations of internal troubles, the personal effects of the dead shall be collected and evacuated with the dead body.
- Their personal possessions must be collected. These include;
- one half of the double identity disc (the other half must be left on the body);
- Last Wills and Testaments;
- other documents of possible importance to next-of-kin;
- money; and
- all articles of value, including articles of sentimental value.
South Africa, Advanced Law of Armed Conflict Teaching Manual, School of Military Justice, 1 April 2008, as amended to 25 October 2013, Learning Unit 2, pp. 106 and 107–108.
Spain’s LOAC Manual (1996) stipulates that personal belongings, identity tags and any last will left by the deceased must be sent to the national Information Bureau.
Spain’s LOAC Manual (2007) states: “Efforts must be made to facilitate the return of the … personal effects [of the deceased] to their country of origin”. Such personal effects “must be sent to the national information bureau”. Specifically mentioned personal effects for return include: “identity cards” and “last wills and any other documents of importance to the next of kin, money and, in general, all objects of an intrinsic or sentimental value found on the body”.
Togo’s Military Manual (1996) provides: “Personal effects [of the dead] shall be collected and evacuated.”
Togo, Le Droit de la Guerre, III fascicules, Etat-major Général des Forces Armées Togolaises, Ministère de la Défense nationale, 1996, Fascicule II, p. 13.
It further specifies: “Identity cards shall be evacuated. One half of the identity card shall remain on the corpse, the other half shall be evacuated.”
Personal belongings of the deceased servicemen shall be sent to their relatives who have the right of hereditary succession. Items of military uniform clothing (except for the organizational items) belonging to officers and warrant officers shall be sent to relatives together with personal belongings. Items belonging to rank and file (sergeants and privates) shall be returned to the military units inventories.
The US Field Manual (1956) provides that parties to the conflict shall “collect and forward through the … [information] bureau one half of the double identity disc, last wills or other documents of importance to the next of kin, money and in general all articles of an intrinsic or sentimental value, which are found on the dead”.
United States, Field Manual 27-10, The Law of Land Warfare, US Department of the Army, 18 July 1956, as modified by Change No. 1, 15 July 1976, § 217.
The appropriate authorities and governmental bodies of the Azerbaijan Republic shall ensure that the necessary measures be taken … to return back … personal property [of the dead] following a request from the parties and close relatives of the dead persons.
Ireland’s Geneva Conventions Act (1962), as amended in 1998, provides that any “minor breach” of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, including violations of Article 16 of the Geneva Convention I, Article 19 of the Geneva Convention II, Article 122 of the Geneva Convention III and Article 139 of the Geneva Convention IV, and of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, including violations of Article 34(2)(c), are punishable offences.
Italy’s Law of War Decree (1938), as amended in 1992, provides: “The objects of personal use belonging to enemy dead on the battlefield shall be collected and kept safely.”
In 1994, in its final report on grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of IHL committed in the former Yugoslavia, the UN Commission of Experts Established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 780 (1992) noted: “For every deceased person who falls into the hands of the adverse party, the adverse party must … forward … personal effects to the appropriate parties.”
To fulfil its task of disseminating IHL, the ICRC has delegates around the world teaching armed and security forces that the “return of … [the] personal effects [of the deceased] to the home State shall be facilitated”.
Frédéric de Mulinen, Handbook on the Law of War for Armed Forces, ICRC, Geneva, 1987, §§ 262 and 739.