Crimes against humanity

Article 7 of the Rome Statute to the International Criminal Court describes the respective Crimes Against Humanity. It also provides definitions of the terms used. Other than war crimes, these crimes may be committed both in times of war, or in times of peace.

Acts that constitute a crime against humanity 

A crime against humanity means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack:

• Murder;
• Extermination;
• Enslavement;
• Deportation or forcible transfer of population;
• Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law;
• Torture;
• Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity;
• Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender (...), or other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under international law (...);
• Enforced disappearance of persons;
• The crime of apartheid;
• Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.

Note the prerequisits for establishing a crime against humanity:

• The act(s) must be part of a widespread and systematic attack
• Directed against any civilian population
• With knowledge of the attack