Detention / Detainees

This theme explores legal, humanitarian, and operational aspects of detention in armed conflicts, focusing on the treatment of detainees, compliance with international humanitarian law, and safeguarding human dignity in detention settings.

Dehumanizing detention: degrading our collective humanity

November 7, 2024 6 mins read Analysis / Communications / Detention / Social Protection Terry Hackett

Language matters and the protections of international law are crucial when facing global trends of dehumanization. Dehumanizing narratives strip people of their dignity, ...

Internment by non-state armed groups: legal and practical limits

October 15, 2024 8 mins read Analysis / Armed Groups / Detention / GCIV and the internment of protected persons / IHL / Special Themes Tilman Rodenhäuser

Detention by non-state armed groups is a widespread, diverse, and legally complex occurrence in armed ...

Procedures for internment review under the Fourth Geneva Convention: reflections from New Zealand

September 19, 2024 15 mins read Analysis / Detention / GCIV and the internment of protected persons / IHL / Special Protections / Special Themes Tim Wood

The Fourth Geneva Convention was the first humanitarian law convention dedicated to protections for civilians ...

Internment pursuant to the Fourth Geneva Convention during an international armed conflict: practice and reflections from Norway

June 6, 2024 10 mins read Analysis / Detention / GCIV and the internment of protected persons / IHL / Special Protections / Special Themes Camilla G. Cooper

The Fourth Geneva Convention was the first humanitarian law convention dedicated to protections for civilians ...

Civilian internment in international armed conflict: when does it begin?

May 23, 2024 12 mins read Analysis / Detention / GCIV and the internment of protected persons / IHL / Special Protections / Special Themes Jelena Pejic

The legal and practical issues related to the exceptional practice of internment of protected persons ...

The internment of protected persons and the Fourth Geneva Convention

May 16, 2024 15 mins read Analysis / Detention / GCIV and the internment of protected persons / IHL / Special Protections / Special Themes Mikhail Orkin

The Fourth Geneva Convention, adopted 75 years ago, was the first humanitarian law convention dedicated ...

The transmission of information by the ICRC’s Central Tracing Agency in international armed conflicts

February 29, 2024 11 mins read Access / Analysis / Communications / Detention / Social Protection / Special Themes / The Geneva Conventions at 75 Natalie Klein-Kelly, Karen Loehner & Jelena Milosevic Lepotic

Two years ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Central Tracing Agency activated ...

A safety net for prisoners of war: five key principles of the Third Geneva Convention

April 27, 2023 11 mins read Detention / GCIII Commentary / Humanitarian Action / Law and Conflict Yvette Issar

After the Second World War, countries came together to improve the legal protection available to ...

Detention by non-State armed groups: translating law to practice

April 4, 2023 11 mins read Analysis / Armed Groups / Detention / Humanitarian Action / Law and Conflict Tilman Rodenhäuser & Eloïse Lefebvre

From the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north of Syria, ...

In the hands of belligerents: status and protection under the Geneva Conventions

May 19, 2022 10 mins read Analysis / Detention / GCIII Commentary / Humanitarian Action / Law and Conflict Ramin Mahnad

When international armed conflict breaks out and people find themselves in the power of belligerent ...

GCIII Commentary: removing ambiguity on the treatment of prisoners of war

October 29, 2020 7 mins read Analysis / Detention / GCIII Commentary / Law and Conflict Tim Wood

In an era in which a number of developed nations have been accused of ill-treating or unlawfully killing captured persons or persons under ...

GCIII Commentary: If I can’t feed you, do I have to let you go?

October 22, 2020 11 mins read Analysis / Detention / GCIII Commentary / Law and Conflict Kubo Mačák

The object and purpose of the Third Geneva Convention is to ensure that prisoners of war are humanely treated at all times, while ...