Is occupying a country a war crime?

291. Under Article 20(c)(i) of the 1996 ILC Draft Code of Crimes against the Peace and Security of Mankind, “[t]he transfer by the Occupying Power of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies” is a war crime.

What does it mean when a country is occupied?

In international law, a territory is considered “occupied” when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army. This definition takes into account the effective control of the territory by a hostile authority and seeks to regulate the responsibility of such an authority.

What does Article 4 of the Geneva Convention 4 say about the persons protected by the Convention?

Article 4 defines who is protected person: Persons protected by the Convention are those who, at a given moment and in any manner whatsoever, find themselves, in case of a conflict or occupation, in the hands of a Party to the conflict or Occupying Power of which they are not nationals.

Who is protected by the Geneva Convention?

International humanitarian law protects a wide range of people and objects during armed conflict. The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols protect sick, wounded and shipwrecked persons not taking part in hostilities, prisoners of war and other detainees, civilians and civilian objects.

Can a country occupy another country?

Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive. …

Is occupying a country illegal?

Occupation is only a temporary situation, and the rights of the occupant are limited to the extent of that period. The occupying power must respect the laws in force in the occupied territory, unless they constitute a threat to its security or an obstacle to the application of the international law of occupation.

What does Occupy mean in military terms?

: control and possession of hostile territory that enables an invading nation to establish military government against an enemy or martial law against rebels or insurrectionists in its own territory.

Which countries are still occupied?

Yet, there are still more territories and states under occupation….July 4 Around the World: 8 Occupied Nations Who Still Cannot Celebrate Their Independence

• Palestine, aka West Bank and Gaza.
• Kurdistan.
• Kabylia.
• Tibet.
• Western Sahara.
• Northern Cyprus.
• Quebec.
• Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

What is Article 92 of the Geneva Convention?

Article 92 defines disobeying a direct order as three types of offenses – violations or failures to obey lawful general orders or regulations, failures to obey other lawful orders, and dereliction of duty.

What happens if you don’t follow the Geneva Convention?

The Geneva Convention is a standard by which prisoners and civilians should be treated during a time of war. The document has no provisions for punishment, but violations can bring moral outrage and lead to trade sanctions or other kinds of economic reprisals against the offending government.

What happens if a country violates the Geneva Convention?

The Geneva Conventions, which are central to IHL, have been ratified by 196 States. A State responsible for IHL violations must make full reparation for the loss or injury it has caused. Serious violations of IHL are war crimes. Individuals responsible for these crimes can be investigated and prosecuted.

What countries have violated the Geneva Convention?

Today, the Conventions and their Protocols Additional, for which we call for universal ratification, are too often violated, whether in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or South Sudan.

What happened to Germany’s territory in the Cold War?

Berlin, the capital city situated in Soviet territory, was also divided into four occupied zones. Germany also lost territory east of the Oder and Neisse rivers, which fell under Polish control.

What countries occupied East and West Germany during WW2?

Upon British insistence, France joined Great Britain and the United States in the occupation of West Germany and West Berlin, while the Soviet Union managed the affairs of East Germany and East Berlin.

How did the United States respond to the war in Europe?

In 1946, the United States and Great Britain merged their occupation zones, and in 1947 the U.S. Government began a massive aid program under the Marshall Plan, which pumped dollars and goods into Europe to aid in recovery. The Soviet Union prevented the countries along the Soviet border in Eastern Europe,…

What was the result of the Allied occupation of Germany?

Allied Occupation of Germany, 1945-52. At the final wartime conference between these two men at Yalta in 1945, the two powers agreed to shift the eastern border of Germany to the West, enlarging western Poland as compensation for the eastern sections of that country annexed by the Soviet Union.