Knowra Prisoner of war Prisoner of war A prisoner of war is a captured member of an armed force or other qualifying person held by an opposing party during an armed conflict. International law grants protected status to qualifying captives.
Third Geneva Convention : The 1949 treaty setting standards for the treatment, protection, and release of prisoners of war. It is the principal treaty defining POW protections and detaining powers’ duties.
Combatant status determination : A legal assessment of whether a captured person qualifies as a combatant or prisoner of war. When status is uncertain, a competent tribunal must determine whether POW protections apply.
Interrogation of prisoners of war : Questioning captured combatants, subject to legal limits on coercion and required disclosure. POWs need give only identifying information; coercion to obtain further intelligence is prohibited.
International Committee of the Red Cross : A humanitarian organization mandated by the Geneva Conventions to protect and assist victims of armed conflict. Its delegates visit POWs, monitor conditions, and help restore contact with families.
Combatant : A person authorized to participate directly in hostilities under the law of armed conflict. Combatant status is a central basis for POW status after capture in international armed conflict.
Humane treatment : The requirement to protect people in custody from violence, intimidation, insults, and public curiosity. The detaining power must protect POWs from abuse and degrading treatment.
War crime : A serious violation of international humanitarian law that entails individual criminal responsibility. Abuse or unlawful killing of POWs can constitute a war crime.
Missing in action : A military status for personnel whose whereabouts or fate after an operation are unknown. Unconfirmed capture can leave families and authorities unable to establish a person’s fate.
International armed conflict : An armed conflict between states, including certain occupations, governed by international humanitarian law. The full POW regime applies principally to captures in this kind of conflict.
Prisoner-of-war camp : A place where captured combatants are held under the authority of a detaining power. Camp conditions determine how many treaty protections are realized in daily life.
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