War criminals are those who violate international treaties and rules of engagement during times of war. They are prosecuted by third-party courts or through tribunals and conventions. War crimes are serious violations of agreements such as the Geneva Convention. The International Criminal Court is involved in the prosecution of war criminals. Investigations can take months or years, and victim testimony and forensic examination can be useful tools. War criminals can be convicted of crimes against humanity, and punishments vary. Many countries have established special courts for investigating and prosecuting war criminals.
A war criminal is someone who has been convicted of war crimes, crimes that violate international treaties and rules of engagement during times of war. Typically, war criminals are prosecuted by third-party courts or through specially established tribunals and conventions in their home nations. Some known war criminals include Slobodon Milosevic, Hideki Tojo and Saddam Hussein. Unfortunately for their victims, many war criminals successfully evade justice.
The definition of “war crimes” is somewhat hazy, which can lead to difficulties in attempts to prosecute suspected war criminals. In essence, war crimes are crimes considered to be serious violations of agreements such as the Geneva Convention, which are supposed to guarantee humane treatment of prisoners of war and govern a number of other rules of conduct during times of war. Other war crimes violate more general agreements and conventions; a war criminal might commit genocide, for example, or force children to serve as soldiers in his army. Both military and civilians can be prosecuted for war crimes.
One of the most important courts involved in the prosecution of war criminals is the International Criminal Court (ICC), in The Hague, Netherlands. The ICC was created in 2002 in response to growing international concerns about war crimes; by law, it can only prosecute crimes committed after July 1, 2002, and can only preside over cases as a court of last resort. The crimes that the ICC can prosecute are also very limited, to ensure that the court does not abuse its authority.
A proper investigation into the activities of an accused war criminal can take months or years. Some war criminals are active members of their governments and during the time the crimes in question were committed, the war criminal may have had government support for him. This often means that a war criminal’s actions are well hidden and covered up, making it extremely difficult to build a case. Victim testimony can be an extremely useful tool, as can forensic examination of mass graves and sites suspected of criminal activity.
A war criminal can be convicted of “crimes against humanity” such as genocide, along with crimes of aggression and failure to comply with established military protocol. As one can imagine, punishments for war criminals vary according to the type and extent of the crimes they are convicted of. Many countries have established special courts for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting war criminals after periods of protracted warfare, especially civil war.
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