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Article 4 - Prisoners of war

from Part I - General Provisions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2021

Compiled by
International Committee of the Red Cross
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Summary

Article 4 defines who is a ‘prisoner of war’ and identifies the personsentitled to the protection of the Third Convention. Article 4A lists thecategories of persons who, if they fall into the power of the enemy, areprisoners of war. It includes members of the armed forces, members of‘irregular’ armed forces that belong to a Party to the conflict, and persons whotake up arms spontaneously in response to an invading army (levée en masse). It also includes certain categories of civiliansauthorized to accompany the armed forces during conflict, such as supplycontractors, as well as members of the merchant marine and the crews of civilianaircraft. All such persons are protected by the Third Convention from the momentthey fall into the power of the enemy until their final release andrepatriation.

Type
Chapter
Information
Commentary on the Third Geneva Convention
Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
 , pp. 348 - 402
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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