The act of using the presence of civilians, prisoners of war or other protected persons to render a military objective, or the armed force itself, immune from attack, most often by deliberately positioning combatants, weapons or military equipment among a civilian population or forcing civilians to accompany or remain near military targets. It is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions' Additional Protocols and recognized as a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, on the reasoning that it exploits the legal protection owed to civilians under international humanitarian law and substantially increases the risk of civilian casualties from an otherwise lawful attack on a legitimate military target.
Facts
Elements of OffenseThe Fourth Geneva Convention, Article 28, prohibits using the presence of a protected person to render certain points or areas immune from attack 1 Notable ExampleBosnian Serb forces of the Army of Republika Srpska captured United Nations personnel in 1995 and used them as human shields at sites expected to be targeted by NATO airstrikes 1 Classification
Offense GradeSerious or Indictable Offense 1 Sources
1. Human shield (Wikipedia)
Legal Framework section, quoting Fourth Geneva Convention Article 28
to render military objectives immune from attack
Bosnian War section
used them as human shields at sites expected to be bombed
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