an independent component of a war crime
Attack on the civilian population or civilians
Deliberate targeting of an attack on the civilian population as such or on individual civilians who do not directly participate in hostilities.
Legal navigator
War Crimes by Elements of Crime
The materials are related to controlled legal topics, not random occurrences of words in the text. One material may simultaneously belong to several compositions, statuses or rules of IHL.
Separate criminal law constructions
Compositions of war crimes
Separate acts with permanent pages, legal matrix, evidence and materials exactly according to this composition.
an independent component of a war crime within the established legal framework
Attack on civilian objects
Deliberately directing an attack at objects that are not military targets; status is assessed ex ante at the time of decision.
a serious violation of the protection of persons who have dropped out of combat
Assault on a person hors de combat
Violence or assault against a person who has surrendered, is unconscious, or otherwise withdrawn from combat and refrains from hostile action.
directly named form in Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine
Illegal removal or deportation of a child
A separate national construction, directly incorporated by Law No. 4499-IX; requires special verification of the effect of the law over time.
independent international composition and the form directly named in Article 438
Recruitment, enrollment or use of children
Recruiting, enlisting or using children to participate in armed conflict or hostilities; international and national designs have different formulations.
directly named form in Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine
Unjustified delay in repatriation of the child
A separate national form added by Law No. 4499-IX; needs to determine the obligation, deadline, reasons for the delay, the responsible person and the effect of the law in time.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
independent composition / serious violation of IHL
Illegal deprivation of liberty
Illegal imprisonment or other serious deprivation of physical freedom of the protected person.
an independent component of a war crime
Deprivation of the right to a fair and proper trial
Deprivation of the protected person's rights to a fair and proper trial; not the same as Ukrainian special court proceedings.
an independent component of a war crime
Taking hostages
Capturing or detaining a person with the threat of harm to compel a third party to act or inaction.
an independent component of a war crime
Illegal deportation or transfer of protected persons
Illegal forced transfer or deportation of protected persons in international armed conflict.
an independent component of a war crime
Order to transfer civilians to NIAC
An order to relocate civilians for conflict-related reasons without a legal basis under IHL.
a separate construction of a war crime
Transfer of the population of the occupying state to the occupied territory
Direct or indirect transfer by the occupying state of part of its own civilian population to the occupied territory.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
independent elements of the war crime in the IAC
Using civilians as "human shields"
Using the presence of a civilian or other protected person to cover a military objective, operation, or area.
independent composition upon the occurrence of a specified consequence
Perfidy
Killing or wounding as a result of abuse of the enemy's trust in protection under IHL; is distinguished from permissible military tricks.
an independent component of a war crime
An order to show no mercy
A statement or order that there will be no mercy, in the context of an armed conflict.
independent composition within the limits of the applicable edition
Causing starvation of the civilian population
Deliberately using starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare, including by depriving them of facilities necessary for survival or obstructing aid.
a separate construction with dependent elements and a consequence
Improper use of protective emblems
Improper use of emblems of the Geneva Conventions or other protective signs; the specific composition and consequence requirement are checked separately.
separate construction with concrete elements
Improper use of the flag of truce
Improper use of the flag of truce; the criminal law form requires verification of intent, method of use and intended consequence.
separate construction with concrete elements
Improper use of the enemy's flag, signs or uniform
Improper use of the enemy's flag, military insignia or uniform with verification of purpose and effect.
separate construction with concrete elements
Improper use of the UN flag, symbols or uniform
Misuse of the flag, insignia or uniform of the United Nations with authorization, intent and effect review.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
an independent component of a war crime
Premeditated murder
Deliberately causing the death of a protected person in connection with an armed conflict.
an independent component of a war crime
Torture
Severe physical or mental pain or suffering for a prohibited purpose; apart from inhumane treatment.
an independent component of a war crime
Inhumane or cruel treatment
Serious physical or mental suffering without the necessary specific purpose required for torture.
an independent component of a war crime
Severe suffering or serious harm to health
Deliberately causing severe suffering or serious bodily injury or harm to the health of a protected person.
an independent component of a war crime
Violation of human dignity
Humiliating or abusive treatment that reaches the appropriate threshold of severity in the circumstances.
independent composition / serious violation of IHL
Biological or medical experiments
Biological or medical experiments on a protected person without proper medical justification and in his interests.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
independent composition of a serious violation
Large-scale destruction or appropriation of property
Large-scale destruction or appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out illegally and arbitrarily.
an independent component of a war crime
Destruction or seizure of enemy property
Destruction or seizure of enemy property without imperative military necessity.
an independent component of a war crime
Pillage
Appropriation of property for private or personal use without the consent of the owner; refrains from requisition, trophies and destruction of property.
an independent component of a war crime
Attack on humanitarian personnel, transport or facilities
Deliberately targeting personnel, facilities, materials, units or transport of a humanitarian assistance or peacekeeping mission while they are entitled to civilian protection.
independent elements of a war crime / special protection of IHL
Attack on medical personnel, formation or transport
Attack on protected medical personnel, formation, transport or hospital; loss of special protection requires a separate factual and legal analysis.
an independent component of a war crime
Compulsion to serve in the armed forces of the enemy
Forcing a prisoner of war or other protected person to serve in the armed forces of an enemy state.
an independent component of a war crime
Rape
Sexual penetration under circumstances of force, threat, coercion, detention, psychological pressure, abuse of power, or inability to give genuine consent.
an independent component of a war crime
Sexual slavery
Exercising the powers inherent in the right of ownership, together with coercion to acts of a sexual nature.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
an independent component of a war crime
Forced pregnancy
Unlawful detention of a woman who has become pregnant by force with defined statutory intent; the composition has a special formulation.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
independent residual structure
Other forms of sexual violence of comparable severity
Other forms of sexual violence that reach a comparable threshold of severity; facts, coercion and legal qualifications need to be specified.
an independent component of a war crime
Forced into prostitution
Forcing a person into prostitution in connection with an armed conflict; requires a separate analysis of the act, coercion, nexus and form of guilt.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
an independent component of a war crime
Forced sterilization
Deprivation of biological reproductive capacity without medical justification and genuine consent under the conditions of the relevant context.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
independent composition within the applicable legal framework
Poison or poisoned weapons
Use of poison or poisoned weapons with verification of technical identification of means, use, intent, type of conflict and temporal applicability.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
independent composition within the applicable legal framework
Asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, liquids and materials
Use of suffocating, poisonous or other gases and similar liquids, materials or devices.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
independent composition within the applicable legal framework
Balls that easily expand or flatten
The use of bullets that easily expand or flatten in the body, with technical and legal verification of the specific ammunition.
It is being prepared - we do not publish links with zero or incomplete output
IHP thematic hubs
Protected persons and statuses
Thematic hubs about the status of a person and related prohibitions and clauses.
protected status — thematic hub
Civilians and the civilian population
Hub on Civilian Status Determination, Direct Participation in Hostilities, and Related Compositions of Attacks and Violence.
protected status — thematic hub
Prisoners of war
Hub on POW status, treatment, judicial guarantees, work, repatriation and related provisions.
specially protected status — thematic hub
Children in armed conflict
Hub on Special Child Protection, Evacuation, Repatriation, Transfer, Recruitment and Use.
protected status — thematic hub
Persons hors de combat
Hub about persons who have surrendered, are unconscious or for some other reason dropped out of the battle and abstain from hostile actions.
specially protected status — thematic hub
Medical and spiritual staff
Hub about identification, function, security emblems, security conditions, and related attacks.
protected status — thematic hub
Humanitarian staff
Hub on humanitarian aid personnel, civil protection conditions and attacks on personnel, facilities and transport.
IHP thematic hubs
Protected facilities and personnel
Navigation by categories of civil, cultural, medical and humanitarian objects and personnel.
protected category of objects — thematic hub
Civil objects
Hub on military objective identification, ex ante objective status assessment, dual targeting and related attack rules.
specially protected objects - thematic hub
Cultural and religious values
Hub on cultural values, historical monuments and religious buildings and conditions for their special protection.
specially protected objects - thematic hub
Medical formations and transport
Hub about hospitals, medical formations, transport, protective emblems and conditions for termination of special protection.
specially protected objects - thematic hub
Objects containing dangerous forces
Hub on dams, dams and nuclear power plants where an attack could cause the release of dangerous forces and heavy civilian casualties.
IHP thematic hubs
Rules and methods of warfare
Rules of IHL, which should not be automatically identified with a separate offense without checking the legal basis and elements.
legal regime — thematic hub
Occupied territory
Hub on establishment of occupation, responsibilities of the occupying state, protection of population, property, judicial guarantees and displacement.
the thematic hub is not one universal warehouse
Prohibited means of warfare
Separate route for poison, gases, deployable bullets and other means with verification of specific international legal basis and temporal applicability.
rule of IHL and thematic hub
Indiscriminate attacks
Prohibition of attacks not aimed at a specific military objective or those whose consequences cannot be limited; not every violation is automatically an independent compound.
basic rules of hostilities
Distinction, proportionality and safeguards
Hub for ex ante assessment of military target, expected civilian harm, specific and immediate military advantage and feasible countermeasures.
rule of IHL and thematic hub
Prohibition of acts of violence aimed at terrorizing the civilian population
Hub on prohibition of acts or threats of violence, the main purpose of which is to terrorize the civilian population; the specific criminal qualification depends on the legal basis.