What are war crimes?

WAR seems like an unbelievable approach for a world leader to get what they want by 2022.

But when it comes to taking steps toward military conflict, there are rules that govern how they must approach battle.

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What are war crimes?

War crimes are committed when warlords violate the laws of war established by international treaties or customary law.

Acts such as killing civilians, killing prisoners, torture, taking hostages, genocide and ethnic cleansing are all considered war crimes.

They are often unwarranted acts of violence or brutality and violate the rules of military conflicts.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates violations of the Rome Statute and tries those accused of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.

What types of war crimes are there?

War crimes are defined in accordance with the Geneva Convention, Nuremberg Court precedents, the Laws and Customs of War, and the statutes of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICTY).

The Geneva Convention legally established the list of war criminals in 1949 and determined the states capable of exercising common jurisdiction.

War crimes reflect the criminal responsibility that can be assigned for acts committed during conflicts.

They can be divided into three categories; traditional war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity.

Genocide is often not officially recognized in the fourth category but is included in the scope of acts that are considered war crimes.

These are the grave violations of war as defined by the Geneva Convention, which is best known of the war crimes treaties:

• Intentional murder
• Torture or inhumane treatment, including biological experiments;
• Intentionally causing great suffering or serious bodily or health injury;
• Massive destruction and misappropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and done illegally and unwelcome;
• Force a prisoner of war or other protected person to serve in the service of a hostile Power;
• Intentionally depriving a prisoner of war or other protected person of the right to a fair and regular trial;
• Illegal deportation or transfer or illegal detention;
• Take hostages

There are also the Hague Conventions and the Geneva Protocol that specifically look at conventional weapons and biological and chemical warfare.

Since when did war crimes exist?

Throughout history, there have been countless examples of people who have been accused and proven to have committed war crimes.

Almost every major military conflict results in allegations and proven cases of war crimes being committed.

World War I was the first international conflict to face war crimes charges after the code

Some examples of alleged war crimes include:

Serbian President Slobodan Milošević – 1999

The International Criminal Court for Yogoslavia charged Milošević with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. He was the first sitting head of state to be charged with war crimes but died while in custody before being tried.

Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaffadi – 2011

Gaffadi was charged with crimes against humanity after ordering the killing of civilians and protesters during the Libyan Civil War. He died before he could stand trial.

Vladmir Putin – 2022

The Russian president is accused of attacking Ukrainians with ball bombs and vacuum bombs. These weapons are condemned by many international organizations including the Geneva Convention.

“The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is massive,” Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova said.

The International Criminal Court prosecutor said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the crime had taken place in Ukraine.