War crime

A war crime is a crime that happens in a war. There are international laws of war that say what people can do during wars and what they cannot do. A war crime breaks these rules.
Today, these rules are international laws called the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Convention.
Definition
To be a war criminal, a crime must be part of a plan, or the crime has to be committed against many people and must be committed during a war.
The idea of what a "war crime" is has changed over time. For example, during World War I, using poison gas in combat was not thought of as a war crime. Now it is.
In 2002, the International Criminal Court (ICC) was created. Its goal is to look into and, if possible, punish people for war crimes. When the ICC was created, it came up with a longer list of war crimes. For example, its list was the first one to include types of sexual abuse like forcing women into sexual slavery.pp. 8-10
Types of war crimes
Here are some examples of crimes that the ICC lists as war crimes.
General war crimes
These are war crimes whether they are committed against enemy soldiers or civilians or neutral persons.
Torture
Causing "great suffering" (severe physical or mental pain) on purpose
Doing medical experiments on a person that will hurt them
Destroying or stealing property
Taking hostages
Using chemical weapons, biological weapons, or other weapons that are illegal under international law
Keeping a person in jail, sentencing them, or executing them without a trial
Willful attacks on neutral persons, property, or territory
Sexual war crimes
These are war crimes whether they are committed against enemy soldiers or civilians or neutral persons.
Rape
Sexual slavery
Forcing a person to be a prostitute
Forcing a woman to get pregnant
Forcing a person to get sterilized
Sexual violence (which includes all other types of sexual abuse and sexual assault)
War crimes against civilians
War crimes against civilians include:
Attacking civilians, killing them, or destroying their property
Making an attack that is obviously going to kill and injure many civilians
Forcing civilians to leave their home countries
Attacking places like religious buildings, schools, and hospitals, which have nothing to do with war
Starving civilians on purpose, as a way of making war
Forcing children to become soldiers
Mutilating a civilian (for example, by cutting off an arm or hurting them in other ways that will show forever)
War crimes against enemy soldiers
War crimes against enemy soldiers include:
Hurting or killing a person who is unable to fight (for example, because they are injured or sick)
Hurting or killing a person who has surrendered
Hurting or killing a person who is clearly a military medic or a chaplain
Tricking enemy soldiers by using a flag to signal a truce, then attacking
Using flags, insignia, or uniforms worn by enemy soldiers or the United Nations as a disguise while attacking
Killing prisoners of war
War crimes against neutral persons
War crimes against neutral persons include:
Hurting or killing a person who is a peacekeeper
Hurting or killing a person whose country is not participating in an armed conflict (for example, a neutral warship in belligerent waters)
Examples of war crimes
This table shows some examples of war crimes.
Photo gallery
Related pages
Crimes against humanity
Geneva Conventions
Hague Convention
Command responsibility
References