War Crimes
Summary: Serious violations of international humanitarian law during armed conflict. Tags: concepts law conflict humanitarian Created: 2026-05-03T00:00:00Z Last Updated: 2026-05-03T00:00:00Z
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War crimes are grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed during armed conflict. They include intentionally targeting civilians, torture, taking hostages, attacking medical facilities, and using prohibited weapons.
War crimes can be prosecuted by national courts or international tribunals such as the International Criminal Court (ICC). Individual perpetrators — including commanders and political leaders — can be held criminally responsible.