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Which four major international crimes can the International Criminal Court prosecute?
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Genocide
Freight train tracks leading to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Nazi Germany's largest concentration camp, near Oświęcim, Poland.
Under the Rome Statute of 1998, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is authorized to prosecute individuals for four major international crimes:12
- Genocide: The deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.1
- Crimes against humanity: Various acts, such as murder, enslavement, or torture, when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population.13
- War crimes: Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, including the mistreatment of prisoners of war, attacks on civilians, or the targeting of civilian infrastructure.1
- Crime of aggression: The planning, preparation, initiation, or execution of an act involving the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of another state.1
These crimes represent the most serious offenses of concern to the international community, and the ICC serves as a permanent tribunal to ensure accountability for those responsible.12