RULESOF

INTERNATIONALHUMANITARIANLAW
AND OTHERRULES
RELATINGTO
THE CONDUCTOFHOSTILITIES

COLLECTIONOF TREATIESAND
OTHER INSTRUMENTS

CRC

International Committee of the Red Cross

19Avenuede la Paix
I 202 Geneva,Switzerland
T +4t 22 734 6001 F +4r 22 733 2057
E-mail: icrc.gva@icrc.
org
wmrry.rcrc.org

Not containedin this collection:

-

QsnsvaConventionsof l2August 1949

ISBN2-88145-014-8
InternationalCommitteeof the RedCross,Geneva,1989
Revisedand updatededition,2005

RomeStatuteof the International Criminal Court

Rome,17fuly 1998
Excerpts.
Art.8 -War crimes
1. The Court shallhavejurisdiction in respectof war crimesin particular when committedaspart of a plan or poliry or aspart of a largescalecommissionof suchcrimes.
2.For the purposeof this Statute,"war crimes"means:
(a) Gravebreachesof the GenevaConventionsof 12 August lg4g,
namely,anyof the followingactsagainstpersonsor propertyprotectedunder the provisionsof the relevantGenevaConvention:
(i) wiltul killing;
(ii) Tortureor inhumantreatment,includingbiologicalexperiments;
(iii) Wilfully causinggreatsuffering,or seriousinjury to body
or health;
(iv) Extensivedestructionand appropriationof property,not
justified by military necessityand carried out unlawfully
and wantonly;
(v) Compellinga prisonerof war or other protectedpersonto
servein the forcesof a hostilePower;
(vi) Wilfully deprivinga prisonerof war or otherprotectedperson of the rights of fair and regulartrial;
(vii) Unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinemenU
(viii) Takingof hostages.
(b) Other seriousviolationsof the laws and customsapplicablein
internationalarmed conflict,within the establishedframework
of internationallaw,namely,any of the following acts:

* As correctedby thep r ocds- verbaux of I 0 November 1998, l2luly 1999,30 Novembe

r 1999,
8 May 2000,17 ]anuary200l and l6lantary2002.

ICC Stat.

(i)

Intentionally directing attacksagainstthe civilian population as such or againstindividual civilians not taking
directpart in hostilities;
(ii) Intentionallydirectingattacksagainstcivilianobjects,that
is, objectswhich arenot military objectives;
(iii) Intentionally directing attacksagainstpersonnel,installations, material,units or vehiclesinvolvedin a humanitarian assistance
or peacekeeping
missionin accordance
with
the Charterof the United Nations,aslong asthey are entitled to the protectiongivento civiliansor civilian objects
under the internationallaw of armed conflict;
(iv) Intentionally launching an attack in the knowledgethat
suchattackwill causeincidentallossof life or injury to civilians or damageto civilian objectsor widespread,[ongterm and severedamageto the naturalenvironmentwhich
would be clearlyexcessive
in relationto the concreteand
direct overallmilitary advantageanticipated;
(v)
Attackingor bombarding,by whatevermeans,towns,villages,dwellings or buildings which are undefendedand
which are not military objectives;
(vi) Killing or wounding a combatantwho, having laid down
his arms or havingno longer meansof defence,has surrenderedat discretion;
(vii) Making improper use of a flag of truce, of the flag or of
the military insignia and uniform of the enemyor of the
United Nations, as well as of the distinctive emblemsof
the GenevaConventions,resulting in death or serious
personalinjury;
(viii) Thetransfer,directlyor indirectly,by the Occupyingpower
of partsof its own civilianpopulationinto the territory it
occupies,or the deportationor transferof all or parts of
the populationof the occupiedterritorywithin or outside
this territory;
(ix) Intentionally directingattacksagainstbuildings dedicated
to religion,education,art, scienceor charitablepurposes,
historic monuments,hospitalsand placeswherethe sick
and woundedarecollected,providedthey arenot military
objectives;

95

ICC Stat.

(x)

Subjectingpersonswho are in the power of an adverse

party to physicalmutilation or to medical or scientific
experimentsof any kind which are neither justified by
the medical,dental or hospital treatment of the person
concernednor carriedout in his or her interest,andwhich
causedeath to or seriouslyendangerthe health of such
personor persons;
(xi) Killing or wounding treacherouslyindividuals belonging
to the hostilenation or army;
(xii) Declaringthat no quarterwill be given;
(xiii) Destroyingor seizingthe enemy'sproperty unlesssuch
destructionor seizurebe imperativelydemandedby the
necessities
of war;
(xiv) Declaringabolished,suspended
or inadmissiblein a court
of law the rightsand actionsof the nationalsof the hostile
part!i
(rv) Compellingthe nationalsof the hostileparty to takepart
in the operationsof war directedagainsttheir own country, evenif theywerein the belligerent'sservicebeforethe
commencementof the war;
(xvi) Pillaginga town or place,evenwhen takenby assault;
(>rvii)Employingpoisonor poisonedweapons;
(xviii) Employingasphyxiating,
poisonousor other gases,
and all
analogousliquids,materialsor devices;
(xix) Employing bullets which expand or flatten easilyin the
human body,suchasbulletswith a hard envelopewhich
doesnot entirely coverthe core or is piercedwith incisions;
(m) Employingweapons,projectilesand materialand methods of warfarewhich are of a nature to causesuperfluous injury or unnecessary
sufferingor which are inherently indiscriminate in violation of the international law
of armedconflict,providedthat suchweapons,projectiles
and material and methodsof warfare are the subjectof a
prohibition and are includedin an annex
comprehensive
to this Statute,by an amendmentin accordance
with the
relevantprovisionssetforth in articlesl2l and 123;

96

ICC Stat.

()od) commining outragesupon personal

dignity, in particular
humiliating and degradingtreatment;
()ocii) committing rape, sexual slavery
enforced prostitution,
forced pregnancy,as definedin article 7, paragraph
2 (0,
enforced sterilization, or any other formoi ,.*J
violence also constituting a grave breach
of the Geneva
Conventions;
()oriii)utilizing the presenceof a civilian
or other protectedper_
son to_rendercertainpoints,areaso, military
fo...r^irn_
mune from military operations;
(nciv) Intentionally directingattacksagainst
buildings,'aterial,
medicar
and transport,and personnelusing the dis""jt:
tinctive embremsof the Genevactnventions in
conforrn_
ity with international law;
(nrv) Intentionally using starvation
of civilians as a method
of warfare-by depriving them of objectsindispensabre
to

theirrlTy{'

incruding
wilfrrlryimpedingreliefsupplies

asprovided for under the Genevaconventions;

(,orvi)conscripting or enlistingchildren
under the ageof fifteen
yearsinto the national armedforcesor using th.to par_
ticipate activelyin hostilities.
(c) In the caseof an armed conflict not
of an internationar character, seriousviolations of article 3 common to the four
Geneva
conventions of 12 August 1949,namery,any of the
following
actscommitted againstpersonstaking no activepart
in the hos_
tilities, including membersof armed forceswho havelaid
down
their.*ms and thoseplaced horsde combatbysickness,
wound.s,
detention or any other Gluse:
(i)
violence to life and person, in particular murder of
all
kinds, mutilation, cruel treatmentand torture;
(ii)
commining outragesupon personaldignity, in particular
humitating and degradingtreatment;
(iii) thking of hostages;
(iv) The passingof sentences
and the carrying out of executions without previousjudgementpronouncedby a regularly constituted court, affording alr judicial grururtl..,
which are generallyrecognizedasindispensable.

97

ICC Stat.

(d) Paragraph2 (c) appriesto armed

conflictsnot of an international
characterand thus doesnot apply to
situations of internar disturbancesand tensions,suchas-rilts,
isoratedand sporadicacts
of violenceor other actsof a similar nature.
(e) other seriousviolations
of the laws and customsappricablein
armed conflicts not of an internationar
charactei within the
establishedframework of internationar
law, namery,any of the
following acts:
(i)
Intentionany direaing attacksagainst
the civilian population as such or againstindiviiuar
civ'ians ,roa ,ur.irrg
direct part in hostilities;
(ii)
Intentionally direaing attacksagainst
buildings, rnateriar,
medical units and transport,*d p.rronnel
uJng the dis^con
tinctive embremsof the Geneva
r.ntions in confor_
mtty with international law;
(iii) Intentionally direAing attacks
againstpersonnel,installations, material, units or vehiclesinvorved
in a humani_
tarian assistanceor peacekeepingmission
in accordance
with the charter of the uniteJ Natiorrs,
aslong asthey are
entitled to the protection given to civilianro, .iuili*
objectsunder the internationarraw of armed
conflict;
(iv) Intentionalrydirecting attacks
againstbuildings dedicated
to religion,education,art, scienceor charitable
pu.poses,
historic monuments,hospitalsand places
where the sick
and wounded arecollected,provided they
are not military
objectives;
Pillaginga town or place,evenwhen taken
!t)
by assault;
(vi) comrnitting rape, iexuar slavery
enforced prostitution,
forced pfegnancy,as definedin article 7, paragraph
2 (0,
enforced sterilization, and any other form
oi ,ooJ
violence also constituting a seriousviolation
of articre 3
common to the four GenevaConventions;
(vii) conscripting or enlistingchildren
und.erthe ageof fifteen
yearsinto armed forcesor groupsor using
tt.* to participate activelyin hostilities;
(viii) ordering the displacementof
the civilian population
for reasonsrelatedto the conflict, unlesstt.
,..rrrity of

98

ICC Stat.

(ix)
(x)

the civiliansinvolvedor imperativemilitary reasonsso

demand;
Killitrg or woundingtreacherously
a combatantadversary;
Dedaringthat no quarterwill begiven;

(xi)

subjecting personswho are in the power of another

partyto the conflict to physicalmutilation or to medicalor
scientifice4perimentsof anykind which are neitherjustified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the
person concernednor carried out in his or her interest,
and which c:rusedeathto or seriousryendangerthe health
of suchpersonor persons;
(xii) Destroying or seizingthe property of an adversaryunless
such destructionor seizurebe imperativelydemandedby
the necessitiesof the conflicu
(f) Paragraph2 (e) appliesto armedconflictsnot of an international
characterand thus doesnot apply to situationsof internal disturbancesand tensions,suchasriots, isolatedand sporadicacts
of violenceor other actsof a similar nature.It appliesto armed
conflicts that take place in the territory of a Statewhen there
is protracted armed conflict betweengovernmentalauthorities
and organizedarmedgroupsor betweensuchgroups.
3. Nothing in paragraph2 (c) and (e) shallaffectthe responsibilityof
a Governmentto maintain or re-establishlaw and order in the Stateor
to defendthe unity and territorial integrity of the State,by ull legitimate
means.

99