14 Popular War Crimes and How to Spot Them
What is a War Crime?
The term “war crime” is being thrown around a lot recently. It turns out, even war has rules. It’s almost Halloween, let’s assess the horror. Some may find these distressing to read.
War crimes can include actions such as:
1) Targeting civilians
Deliberately attacking or causing harm to civilians who are not taking part in the hostilities.
2) Indiscriminate attacks
Conducting attacks that do not distinguish between military targets and civilian objects, or those which result in excessive harm to civilians or their property.
3) Using prohibited weapons
Employing weapons or methods of warfare that have been banned by international agreements, such as chemical, biological, or certain types of explosive weapons.
4) Using indiscriminate weapons
The use of weapons and methods of warfare that are inherently indiscriminate or cause excessive harm to civilians is considered a war crime. This includes actions like indiscriminate bombings, attacks that don’t distinguish between military and civilian targets, and tactics that disregard the principles of proportionality.
5) Taking hostages
Seizing individuals not actively involved in the conflict to use them as leverage or bargaining chips.
6) Torture and inhumane treatment
Subjecting prisoners of war or civilians to torture, cruel, or degrading treatment, including sexual violence.
7) Attacking medical personnel and facilities
Targeting hospitals, ambulances, and medical personnel who are providing care to the sick and wounded.
8) Forced displacement
Forcibly displacing civilians from their homes or communities, often as a means of ethnic cleansing or population control.
9) Using child soldiers
Enlisting or conscripting children under the age of 15 to participate in hostilities. At 16 you can’t drive or drink in most countries, but you can go to war.
10) Attacking protected objects
Deliberately attacking objects that are protected under international humanitarian law, such as hospitals, schools, cultural sites, and religious buildings, is considered a war crime. These objects should not be targeted unless they are being used for military purposes.
11) Starvation
Using the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, such as blocking access to food and humanitarian aid, is a war crime. It’s a violation of the principle of distinction, which requires a clear separation between combatants and civilians.
12) Pillaging
You can’t steal from a place even if you’ve taken it by assault
13) Use of human shields
Forcing civilians to act as human shields to protect military objectives from attack is a war crime. It endangers the lives of civilians and violates the principle of proportionality.
14) Genocide
This one has its own bullet points.
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
- Killing members of the group;
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
- Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
- Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
It’s important to note that war crimes are considered violations of international law, and those who commit them can be held accountable under national and international legal systems. Individuals, including military and political leaders, can be prosecuted for war crimes, and international tribunals, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), have been established to bring perpetrators to justice. The prosecution of war crimes is crucial in maintaining accountability and upholding the principles of international humanitarian law.
War crimes have been recognized and defined through various international treaties and conventions established over time. Key milestones in the development of the concept of war crimes include:
- Hague Conventions: The first international efforts to codify laws of armed conflict took place during the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.
- Geneva Conventions: The four Geneva Conventions, initially adopted in 1864 and later revised and expanded in the 20th century, laid down important rules for the protection of wounded, sick, and shipwrecked soldiers, as well as prisoners of war and civilians during times of armed conflict. In 1977, two Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions were adopted to strengthen the protection of victims of armed conflicts.
- Nuremberg Trials: After World War II, the Nuremberg Trials were held to prosecute Nazi leaders for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other offenses. This set important precedents for prosecuting individuals for war crimes and established the principle that individuals, including military and political leaders, could be held accountable for wartime actions.
- Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court (ICC): The Rome Statute, adopted in 1998, established the International Criminal Court (ICC), an independent international tribunal tasked with prosecuting individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The ICC is a significant step in ensuring accountability for war crimes on a global scale.
If you’ve spotted a war crime happening, report it to your local politician. I’m certain they’ll get right on sorting it all out.
