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.

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 ...

GCIII Commentary: ten essential protections for prisoners of war

July 23, 2020 10 mins read Analysis / Detention / GCIII Commentary / Law and Conflict Cordula Droege

The Third Geneva Convention is the most comprehensive legal framework protecting prisoners of war. Adopted in 1949 against the backdrop of immense suffering ...

Deprived of freedom: how detainees in conflict zones could benefit from a ‘triple nexus’ approach

July 9, 2020 9 mins read Analysis / Detention / Humanitarian Action Colin Walch

Detainees are among the most vulnerable groups in society, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected regions. How governments treat the people they detain in ...

GCIII Commentary: ICRC unveils first update in sixty years

June 18, 2020 10 mins read Analysis / GCIII Commentary / Generating Respect for IHL / ICRC Commentaries / Law and Conflict Jean-Marie Henckaerts

Taking prisoners in international armed conflicts has been a common practice for centuries. The Third ...

COVID-19 response in conflict zones hinges on respect for international humanitarian law

April 16, 2020 9 mins read COVID-19 and conflict / Generating Respect for IHL / Law and Conflict Cordula Droege

In our collective response to COVID-19 in conflict zones, it is vital that key provisions ...

Structural disconnects between algorithmic decision-making and the law

April 25, 2019 8 mins read Artificial Intelligence and Armed Conflict / Conduct of Hostilities / Detention / Law and Conflict / New Technologies Suresh Venkatasubramanian

Editor’s note: There are disconnects between how algorithmic decision-making systems work and how law works, according to ...