War Crimes: War crimes are any of the following breeches of the four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, perpetrated against any persons or property:
- willful killing
- torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments
- willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health
- extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly
- compelling a prisoner of war or other protected person to serve in the forces of a hostile power
- willfully depriving a prisoner of war or other protected person of the rights of affair and regular trial
- unlawful deportation or transfer, or unlawful confinement
- taking of hostages.
Under the definition of war crimes, the ICC will also have jurisdiction over the most serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in international armed conflict within the established framework of international law. These violations are defined extensively in Article 8(b) of the Rome Statute.
In the case of armed conflict that is not of an international character, the Court’s jurisdiction will cover breeches of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949.