Prisoners Of War Research Articles

War crimes and ensuring Ukraine's national security through the prism of Russia's armed aggression

Modern democratic states of the world make a lot of efforts to ensure national security, which is one of the priority areas of state activity. In recent years, you have observed armed aggression on the part of individual states, evidence of which is the illegal invasion of the territory of Ukraine by Russian troops in February 2022 and the commission of a number of war crimes by them. The article uses general and special scientific methods. A war crime is a violation of international humanitarian law or national legislation by a serviceman or other person participating in an armed conflict or involved in military activities, with the aim of harming the civilian population, prisoners of war, objects of cultural heritage, etc. Such acts may include, for example, murder, torture, violence, sexual crimes, ethnic cleansing, violence against children, forced displacement of populations and other crimes that entail responsibility under international law. The specified crimes should certainly be considered crimes against humanity, because they are particularly brutal and massive, as well as being exclusively intentional in nature, and are a serious threat to the humanitarian situation both in a specific state and in the whole world in general.

About choosing places of stay for the Japanese prisoners of war in Russia during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)

The article concerns the problem of prisoners of war during the Russo-Japanese war. The problem appears in the focus of modern researchers quite rarely: they usually write about political, military, and economic aspects of the war. The article describes the process of choosing the places of stay for the captured Japanese soldiers and officers in 1904–1905.By the beginning of the war, Russia assumed a number of obligations, since, during the Conference in Hague in 1899, it signed the Convention with respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land, prescribing the treatment of prisoners based on humanistic ideals.The sources used during writing the work represent the latest research materials and the archival documents. These documents are stored in the Russian State Military Historical Archive (RGVIA) in Moscow.While determining the places for the Japanese stay, the Military department faced a severe problem, since it was necessary to take into account different factors: whether it would be possible to ensure guarding the prisoners of war, whether there was a suitable building for their accommodation, whether the Japanese soldiers and officers would have opportunities to commit sabotage. The latest issue was vividly discussed in the official documents of the period: there were concerns that the Japanese would destroy railways, as they did in Manchuria.The idea that the place for the Japanese prisoners should be in the Far East was rejected almost immediately due to its proximity to the theater of operations. Siberia also did not fit, since a railway passed through it – the most important transport artery during the war, so it was decided to place the Japanese in European Russia. The city of Penza was chosen as a collection point, from where prisoners of war were distributed to the cities of the Kazan, Moscow, Kiev, and Saint Petersburg military districts.However, in the autumn of 1904, Emperor Nicholas II issued a decree that the Japanese should not be stationed near the passage of the Russian troops. After that it was decided to accommodate all Japanese prisoners of war in one place: in the village of Medved, Novgorod province. The barracks located there were perfect for housing a small number of Japanese prisoners, where they stayed until the end of the war.

Między nonkonformizmem a kolaboracją. Kontakty polsko-niemieckie w biografii Jana Emila Skiwskiego

In the interwar period, Jan Emil Skiwski gained recognition as an outstanding literary critic. While the Nazis occupied Poland during World War II, as one of the few writers with ideological motives, he collaborated with the Germans, supporting their propaganda activities, including in the magazine “Przełom”. His attitude was met with general condemnation. After the war, the writer chose to emigrate, hiding behind a changed name, especially given that in communist Poland, he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment and loss of public rights. An interesting episode in his post-war biography is the friendship he developed with the German intellectual Jürgen Rausch during his stay in the Allied camp for prisoners of war in Italy. The article tries to present these special Polish–German relations of Skiwski.

Sarah Ann Frank, Hostages of Empire: Colonial Prisoners of War in Vichy France

Sarah Ann Frank, <i>Hostages of Empire: Colonial Prisoners of War in Vichy France</i>

Fine as a type of disciplinary penalty against prisoners of war

The article examines national legislation and international legal acts operating in the field of international humanitarian law, in particular, regarding the treatment of prisoners of war. It has been emphasized that in the modern legal science of Ukraine there are no relevant scientific works devoted to the study of issues of bringing prisoners of war to disciplinary responsibility.&#x0D; Emphasis is placed on the fact that the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War of 1949, in the conditions of martial law in our country, played an important role, determined the need and became the basis for the creation of appropriate national legislation regulating social relations in this area.&#x0D; It has been established that the legal position of prisoners of war is not the same and depends on their military rank, in particular, this is clearly expressed, for example, when they are recruited to work, brought to disciplinary responsibility, etc.&#x0D; It has been found that the fine, as a disciplinary sanction that can be applied to prisoners of war, from the point of view of its content and method of presentation, is characterized by its incomprehensibility, uncertainty and lack of terms used in its description in the national legislation. It has been concluded that the domestic legislator almost completely adopted (copied) this regulatory provision from the international legal act, without taking into account the realities and specifics of domestic legislation. In this regard, concerns have been expressed about its possible practical application in the form in which it currently exists.&#x0D; It has been established that the fine for prisoners of war, in contrast to convicts, is assigned according to the system of penalty days, and consists in assigning to the prisoner of war the daily amount of the fine, determined in accordance with the legislation in the national currency of Ukraine. A clearly defined number of days (term), during which he or she is obliged to pay the corresponding amount of money has been set.&#x0D; Emphasis is placed on the imperfection of national legislation, in particular, in the part of defining and applying fines to prisoners of war, on the basis of which the author has proposed appropriate changes and additions to it.

PARAMILITARY AND WAR CRIMES COMMITTED IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA / PARAVOJNE JEDINICE I RATNI ZLOČINI POČINJENI U BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI

The last armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which took place between 1992 and 1995, was a bloody one. Not only was lots of real blood were spilled, but metaphorically speaking, it resulted in millions of displaced persons, hundreds of mass graves, hundreds of places of detention, hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war, hundreds of thousands of tortured and destroyed lives. During the aftermath of the war, around 700 war crime cases were prosecuted, spanning one thousand defendants, and including all possible war crimes, including genocide. These war crime trials could be observed from different perspectives. While most of these crimes were committed by soldiers and police officers, among those who were not soldiers or police officers, one category is to be particularly observed, the paramilitary. Members of the paramilitary, not soldiers or civilians, according to the database of war crimes, were charged in some 5% of all war crimes cases. But then, if these persons are not soldiers or civilians, the question is who were they, and why they do what they did? Furthermore, what interest did they have in behaving in a way that is characterized as criminal, more precisely, a war crime. Among number of the war crimes committed by the paramilitary groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this paper will analyze ones including most serious crimes and those of most significance. By doing that, this paper will contribute to the better understanding of the position and behavior of the paramilitary groups involved in committing war crimes, further legal regulation of their position, and social understanding of the nature of paramilitary forces in and after the armed conflict.

Международная научно-практическая конференция «Актуальные проблемы уголовно-исполнительного права и исполнения наказаний» памяти профессоров Н. А. Стручкова и М. П. Мелентьева по вопросам назначения, исполнения и досрочного освобождения от уголовных наказаний в экстремальных (чрезвычайных) условиях (тематическое заседание, посвященное проблемам регулирования обращения с осужденными военнопленными, 14 апреля 2023 года)

On April 14, 2023, on the basis of the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, an international scientific and practical conference “Actual problems of penal enforcement law and execution of punishments” was held in memory of professors N. A. Struchkov and M. P. Melentyev on the appointment, execution and early release from criminal penalties in extreme (emergency) conditions (thematic session dedicated to the problems of regulation of the treatment of convicted prisoners of war). The co- organizers of this event, in addition to the Department of Penal Enforcement Law of the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, were the St. Petersburg Academy of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the Institute of Judicial Enforcement Service of the University of Internal Affairs of Mongolia, as well as the Union of Criminologists and Criminologists. The conference was the first of its kind and identified areas for further improvement of theory, legislation and practice in the field of execution of punishments in extreme (emergency) conditions, including the regime of special conditions in institutions of the penal system, as well as correctional and preventive measures against convicted prisoners of war.

Violation of the standards of international humanitarian law in the conditions of russian armed aggression

The article addresses the issue of the ineffectiveness of norms of international humanitarian law during modern armed conflicts, the content of certain norms of the Geneva Conventions with the aim of improving the international legal regulation of the status of victims of armed conflicts. An analysis of international legal acts and national acts adopted in Ukraine after the introduction of martial law in Ukraine, which are aimed at improving the status of victims of the armed conflict, has been carried out. Attention is drawn to the fact that the russian-Ukrainian war qualifies as an international armed conflict, in which, in accordance with the norms of international humanitarian law, the combatants are given the status of prisoners of war. At the same time, russia grants them the status of “persons opposing a special military operation” without guaranteeing the protection of the rights of prisoners of war, does not distinguish the status of civilians in an armed conflict, which is a significant violation of the norms of international humanitarian law. It is proposed to adopt the conventional norms of international humanitarian law in terms of regulating the exchange of prisoners of war.Different definitions that denote certain vulnerable categories of the civilian population during an armed conflict are analyzed in relation to the definition of “indirect victims of an armed conflict”. Proposals for the creation of a coordinating body that would take care of the issues of indirect victims of the armed conflict, the development of an effective compensation mechanism for destroyed or damaged property during armed aggression, and the determination of the legal status of persons who have been deprived of personal freedom as a result of armed aggression against Ukraine are supported. Today, international and national legislation is clear on the appointment - who should be taken into account by the persons who suffered in the wake of the violent aggression. It is concluded that the norms of international humanitarian law need to be updated and revised for their future observance and implementation by all subjects of international law.

The Attributability of Combatant Status to Military AI Technologies under International Humanitarian Law

ABSTRACT The concepts of means of warfare and combatants are not comparable or on the same scale in IHL. Yet the human-like performances of AI technologies, such as independent decision-making, may blur the line between these two concepts. This may also lead one to compare the technology with a human combatant rather than with other means of warfare. In this context, this paper questions the attributability of combatant status to military AI technologies by concentrating on the scope of the combatant concept. Contrary to some existing studies that found combatant status insufficient for machines based on ethics or behavioural human-machine differences, this study examines why combatant status is unsuitable for military AI technologies from a legal conceptual perspective, even in their most intelligent and independent forms by visiting terms—membership to armed forces, armed forces and prisoners of war (POW)—that are relevant to disclose the scope of the term combatant.

“Hell camp” hidden in the forest – the materiality of Stalag VIII B (344) Lamsdorf

ABSTRACT The history of imprisonment in Lamsdorf (in Polish: Łambinowice) is long and complicated – prisoner-of-war (POW) and resettlement camps were operating near the village from the times of the Franco-Prussian War, through the Great War, the interwar period, 1939–1945 to 1945–1946. During the First and Second World Wars a number of British Empire soldiers, among others, were held behind the barbed wire in Lamsdorf. Today, the Central Museum of Prisoners-of-War is an institution that researches, protects and manages the post-camp landscape as well as the history, heritage and memory of people detained there in the past. In this article we present (i) the activities of the Museum in the context of the history and heritage of British POWs held in Stalag VIII B (344) Lamsdorf during the Second World War, and (ii) the results of non-invasive archaeological work carried out in 2022 in the area of the former camps.

A Foundation for a "Cheerful Society": The Korean War and the Rise of Psychiatry.

One of the most remarkable medical achievements of the Korean War was the development of psychiatry. During the Korean War, soldiers and prisoners of war (POWs) experienced "gross stress reaction" and manifested poor concentration and memory as well as clinical depression and social alienation. Rest and relaxation rotations served as the primary treatment for their conditions. Civilians also bore the brunt of the war's effects. Delusions of grandeur and megalomania appear to have been common among Koreans, but there were few mental health facilities to provide treatment and care. Out of the furnace of war, psychiatry emerged as a newly specialized field, and in the 1950s, Korea became the very place where military psychiatry training under the U.S. military laid the groundwork for civilian psychiatry. This essay aims to enrich the study of mental illness during and after the Korean War by providing a more detailed picture of the mental problems experienced not only by veterans and POWs, but also by civilians in Korea. Examining mental health issues from this period is challenging due to the scarcity of resources for delving into the minds of the civilians involved. Taking military psychiatry as a starting point, this essay goes beyond existing scholarship to discuss psychiatry-related responses to the Korean War, including the influence of military psychiatry on civilian psychiatry, the endeavors of medical professionals and government policies, and contemporary expressions of mental distress during and after the war.

PERANCANGAN PALANG MERAH INDONESIA KOTA MUARA TEWEH

The Indonesian Red Cross, which is often known by the abbreviation PMI, is a national association organization located in Indonesia and engaged in the humanitarian field. The activity that was first carried out by PMI was to help victims of the Indonesian Revolutionary War of Independence and return victims of Allied and Japanese prisoners of war so that the Indonesian Red Cross has gained international recognition. The purpose of the design this time is "How to design the Muara Teweh Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) building which is able to fulfill the activities of the volunteers and their working staff by providing assistance and blood services to the people in the city of Muara Teweh which are appropriate and make rooms with adequate facilities ?”. By using the concept of "Local Wisdom" by prioritizing the function of building the PMI building and using the Symbolism Method in the design

Prisoner of War in the context of «hybrid war»: philosophical and legal dimensions

In the broader context of transformations in the modern world order, the «hybrid warfare» concept has become a vital framework for assessing and understanding these changes within the realm of general social science. It encompasses a wide array of subjects, objects, principles, structures, norms, institutions, rules, and manifestations that are currently undergoing significant shifts. These transformations are observable across collective subjects, actors, and participants involved in social processes, operating at both macro and micro levels. As a result, their social roles and socio-legal statuses have become increasingly blurred, intertwined, and diversified.&#x0D; This dynamic landscape is particularly evident when examining specific social groups, such as «prisoners of war» and related categories like «hostages.» These groups serve as focal points for analyzing the broader context of complex and often ambiguous situations, like the russian-Ukrainian war. It is within these evolving dynamics that these social groups experience significant «mutations» driven by external factors that are socially comprehensible.&#x0D; These mutations give rise to indirect status polarization among the respective social groups, characterized by a complex amalgamation of elements involving both «victimization» and «stigmatization,» as well as «heroization» and «idealization.» These nuanced perceptions and portrayals are particularly prominent within public opinion and media and information discourse.&#x0D; Recognizing and comprehending the implications of these changes within the context of hybrid warfare is crucial. It sheds light on the multifaceted consequences for the subjects and objects involved, providing valuable insights into the evolving nature of the modern world order. Understanding the impact on various social groups, including prisoners of war and hostages, can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex social dynamics at play in the contemporary global landscape. By examining these transformations, researchers and policymakers can better address the challenges and opportunities posed by the hybrid warfare paradigm and its effects on societies worldwide.

PLACEMAKING AT LES BLANCHES BANQUES, JERSEY’S FIRST WORLD WAR PRISONER OF WAR CAMP: NESTED LANDSCAPES OF INTERNEES AND GUARDS

Most recent archaeological studies of prisoners of war have concentrated on resistance to confinement and identity creation within the camps. In contrast, the findings at Les Blanches Banques, Jersey, occupied by German military prisoners during the First World War, are here viewed through the lens of the varied placemaking strategies applied by both prisoners and camp staff. The prisoners created places of meaning within the regimented and confined conditions of their internment, but the guards were also limited by their duties in their assignment to this remote location, though all also saw the camp within its wider island landscape setting. This is the first study to consider placemaking at a prisoner of war camp at nested scales and from different perspectives.

Воєнні та військові злочини в кримінальному законодавстві Російської імперії, РРФСР та Російської Федерації: теорія і безпосередня практика

The qualification of military and war crimes in the legislation of the Tsardom of Muscovy, the Russian Empire, the RSFSR and modern Russia is considered. A conclusion about the primacy of military expediency over considerations of universal morality and humanism is made. Thus, the legislation of the Tsardom of Muscovy foresaw the possibility of turning the so-called boyar children (the younger layer of the boyars), suspended by the tsar from service, into kholops (serfs). The military legislation of Peter I does not distinguish between the suicide of a soldier and treason. The military reform of Alexander II, carried out by Minister Milyutin, somewhat liberalized military legislation and created a clear system of military courts. The refusal of the Provisional Government to use the death penalty disorganized the Russian army, and this was considered by the Bolsheviks while creating the Red Guards and the Red Army. During the civil war, the Bolshevik headship even used decimation regarding the Red Army men. After the end of hostilities, military crimes (Criminal Code of the RSFSR of 1922) were generally punished more mildly, but the tightening of the screws in the direction of repression’s increase began almost immediately. These processes reached their apogee during the Second World War when the widest range of cases was handed over to military tribunals. In the Criminal Code of the RSFSR of 1960, the number of military crimes doubled, and the sanction became as severe as possible (up to the death penalty). The concept of a war crime is first mentioned in Article 67.1. The use of biological weapons, but it was introduced into the Code by the Law of the Russian Federation, dated 29.04.1993. The criminal code of the modern Russian Federation includes both military and war crimes, the sanctions are severe, but thesein no way restrain the Russian army, Rosgvardiya (National Guard of Russia), and paramilitary formations during a full-scale war against Ukraine. The world has witnessed numerous crimes against the civilian population, prisoners of war, and the environment (the blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP).

Economic and Ideological Reasons for the Use by the Third Reich of Forced Labor of “Eastern Workers”

The analytical part of this work consists in a special emphasis on the relationship and interdependence of ideological “justification” and economic “expediency” in the exploitation of forced labor by Ostarbeiters. The article notes the consonance of the ideas about the special status of the German worker and total mobilization put forward by the leaders of the Third Reich with the subsequent software and practical actions of the National Socialists in Germany on the issue of labor exploitation of millions of civilians and prisoners of war of countries — military opponents. These actions were not just aimed at reducing pressure on the German worker and maintaining a high level of production, but were accompanied by the imposition of ethnic myths and alien values on foreign workers, moreover, by “cleansing” territories from people during the retreat and destruction through back-breaking and often senseless labor of “racially — inferior” categories. An analysis of the views of modern researchers of the problem showed that rationalistic interpretations of the actions of the Nazi authorities in relation to foreign labor, especially “Eastern workers”, dominate. The ideas of war and domination, the priority of Germany and its interests, formulated by the leaders of the NSDAP, became dominant in the ideology and politics of the Third Reich, where the forced labor of citizens of the occupied states became an integral element.

Church charity during the first world war

The article presents the charitable activities of the Orthodox clergy and laity during the First World War. Based on a wide range of sources and studies, various practices of providing assistance to wounded and maimed soldiers, prisoners of war, refugees, and members of soldiers' families are shown. At the same time, various public reactions to the role of the Orthodox Church in mobilizing the rear and consolidating the population for the successful conduct of the war are emphasized.

Comparative Study of Islamic and International Humanitarian Law

The human community has always been characterized by conflict, governed by ethical and legal standards that have evolved with human civilization. This widely accepted standard was eventually defined as contemporary International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This study aims to analyze from two legal perspectives: Islamic and international humanitarian law. The method used in this research is comparative, including qualitative analysis. The results of this study suggest that regulation has developed mainly due to modern European activities, diminishing the potential contributions of other cultural and ethical traditions to its development and codification. However, it should be noted that the principles jus ad bellum (laws governing the use of force) and jus in Bello (the content of the laws of war) are evident in Islamic literature centuries before modern international law was codified, with little attention paid to them. This paper argues that Islamic humanitarian law, which regulates the treatment of prisoners of war, is comprehensive and comparable to the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Convention. In addition, the concept of Siyar's Islamic literature is very similar to the Geneva Conventions. This research augments international relations by examining the degree of concordance between the requirements of Islamic Humanitarian Law and Modern IHL concerning issues of immediate practical relevance in an era when several regions of the world are experiencing armed conflict.

Southern Rhodesia’s Adherence to the 1929 Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Italian and German Internees, 1939–1945

Abstract The article looks at the Southern Rhodesian government’s efforts to implement the 1929 Geneva Convention’s provisions in establishing and administering internment camps during Second World War, despite the fact that the convention did not apply to civilian internees. The article contends that, although the Southern Rhodesian government was committed to the Geneva Convention of 1929, which specified the guidelines and norms for the treatment of prisoners of war, this was fraught with ambiguities. This was partially due to the fact that internees were not initially considered prisoners of war and also because the pro-British Southern Rhodesia white community had conflicting feelings towards Germans and Italians. Hence, although the Geneva Convention obliged capturing states to adhere to certain norms, there was a limit to how far Southern Rhodesia could go in terms of executing these stipulations. This article is based on archival documents from the National Archives of Zimbabwe.

Writing at the Emperor’s Behest: A Remark on Theodore Daphnopates’ Correspondence to Bulgarian Tsar Symeon I the Great (893–927)

The letters written by Theodore Daphnopates, a high Byzantine dignitary, and sent to Bulgarian Tsar Symeon (r. 893–927; d. May 27, 927) on behalf of the Byzantine Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos (r. 920–944; d. June 29, 948) in the final phase of the prolonged Byzantine-Bulgarian war of 913–927, are well known. Daphnopates’ correspondence has encouraged, and will probably continue to encourage, research activity due to its focus on both the aspects of Byzantine political ideology and concepts, and on the Bulgarian claims in the early 10th century. This text focuses on information concerning Byzantine civilians and their fate under the pressure of advancing enemy troops. Attention is paid to their capture and abduction. The main focus of this article is on the often overlooked or overtly neglected statements that Daphnopathes offers on enslavement, slave trafficking, and the efforts of the Byzantine authorities to bring at least some of their subjects back to the Empire through the familiar practice of exchanging prisoners of war.