Who is not entitled to status of POW?

Persons excluded from prisoner of war status: The following persons are explicitly excluded from prisoner of war status in the law of armed conflict: members of the armed forces of a party who fall into the power of the adverse party while engaging in espionage; and. mercenaries.

Who is not entitled to prisoner of war status?

Only military medical and religious personnel are members of armed forces but not combatants and they do not become prisoners-of-war if they fall into the power of the enemy.

What categories of people are entitled to prisoner of war status?

A person who takes part in hostilities and falls into the power of an adverse Party shall be presumed to be a prisoner of war, and therefore shall be protected by the Third Convention, if he claims the status of prisoner of war, or if he appears to be entitled to such status, or if the Party on which he depends claims ...

What are the rules for POWs?

POWs must be treated humanely in all circumstances. They are protected against any act of violence, as well as against intimidation, insults, and public curiosity.

Can non combatants be POWs?

Rights of POWs

Those who qualify the criteria for combatants are eligible to get POW status described by IHL. Those who are not combatants cannot get the status of POW.

The categories of people entitled to POW status

Do mercenaries get POW status?

If, after a regular trial, a captured soldier is found to be a mercenary, then he can expect treatment as a common criminal and may face execution. As mercenary soldiers may not qualify as PoWs, they cannot expect repatriation at war's end.

Can a civilian be a POW?

Under the new definition, prisoner-of-war status is no longer reserved exclusively for combatants who are members of the armed forces: it may also be granted to civilians who are members of resistance movements and to participants in popular uprisings.

When can a POW be executed?

If the death penalty is pronounced on a prisoner of war, the sentence shall not be executed before the expiration of a period of at least six months from the date when the Protecting Power receives, at an indicated address, the detailed communication provided for in Article 107 .

Can you shoot escaping POWs?

2551 Article 42 limits the use of weapons against prisoners of war to extreme cases. Nevertheless, if prisoners succeed in escaping, they become targetable again under the rules on the conduct of hostilities, and the limits imposed by Article 42 no longer apply.

Are POWs obligated to escape?

The Geneva Convention recognized that a POW may have the duty to attempt escape.

What is a category D prisoner?

Category D - open prisons

These prisons have minimal security and allow eligible prisoners to spend most of their day away from the prison on licence to carry out work, education or for other resettlement purposes. Open prisons only house prisoners that have been risk-assessed and deemed suitable for open conditions.

What is the three classification of prisoners?

1. Those undergoing investigation; 2. those awaiting or undergoing trial; and 3. those awaiting final judgment.

What are Category B and C prisoners?

Cat B – Prisoners for whom the very highest conditions of security are not necessary but for whom escape must be made very difficult. Cat C – Prisoners who cannot be trusted in open conditions but who have neither the resources nor the will to make a determined escape attempt.

Can a neutral country hold POWs?

TRANSFER OF POWS INTO A NEUTRAL STATE

By arrangements between the States concerned (i.e. Parties to the conflict with the co-operation of neutral States), POWs can be admitted and interned on neutral territory until the end of hostilities.

Who is not protected by the Geneva Convention?

The Four Geneva Conventions in force today were adopted in 1949, and each Convention is designed to provide protection for a category of protected persons who do not (civilians, medical personnel) or no longer take part in the hostilities (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).

Can children be prisoners of war?

Children who are detained as the result of an armed conflict must be treated humanely. They should be kept with their family group. If this is not possible, they should be separated from adult prisoners or detainees. IHL aims to limit the impact of war on children.

Can you photograph a prisoner of war?

The Third Geneva Convention of 1949 (the Prisoners of War Convention) contains no provisions specifically regulating the circum- stances in which prisoners of war can be photographed.

Can POW be tortured?

No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to any unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind.

Can you interrogate a POW?

Throughout their internment, POWs must be treated humanely and with "respect for their person and their honour." They cannot be subjected to coercive interrogation, and IHL sets out minimum conditions of internment for POWs, addressing issues such as accommodation, food, clothing, hygiene and medical care.

How do you get POW status?

What's the longest someone has been a POW?

Col. Floyd J. Thompson, who endured nearly nine years of torture, disease and starvation in Vietnam as the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, has died.

Who was the longest US POW?

But in many ways, it is also the story of our country's painful growth in the 1960s and 70s. United States Army Colonel Floyd “Jim” Thompson, the longest held prisoner of war (POW) in American history, and his wife, Alyce, were products of the idealism of post-World War II America.

Who was the only president that was a POW?

He was in a battle and was later captured by the British, making him the only president to have been a prisoner of war. Jackson was magnetic and charming but with a quick temper that got him into many duels, two of which left bullets in him.

Do you get a medal for being a POW?

authorized for any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Armed Forces, was taken prisoner and held captive after April 5, 1917. (1) The POW Medal is to be issued only to those U.S. military personnel and other personnel granted creditable U.S. military service, who were taken prisoner and held captive ...

Is beating a POW a war crime?

The Third Geneva Convention governs the treatment of prisoners of war, effective from the moment of capture. This includes obligations to treat them humanely at all times. It is a war crime to willfully kill, mistreat, or torture POWs, or to willfully cause great suffering, or serious injury to body or health.