genocide

Genocide is defined as the intentional destruction, in whole or in part, of a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as set out in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It requires a specific intent to destroy the targeted group, in whole or in part, and is regarded as a crime under international law.

The acts that can constitute genocide include killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s destruction, imposing measures to prevent births, and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. The crime can be committed by states, military forces, militias, or other organized actors, and can occur during war or in peacetime.

The scope and recognition of genocide can be politically sensitive. Some events widely labeled genocide include the Holocaust during World War II, the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, and the genocides in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge and in Bosnia with the Srebrenica massacre. Others, such as the Armenian Genocide, are recognized by many governments and scholars but remain disputed by others.

Legally, genocide is prosecutable in international courts and by national jurisdictions that implement the Genocide Convention. The crime under international law obligates states to prevent and punish genocide and to cooperate in bringing perpetrators to justice. The concept has influenced discussions about the responsibility to protect civilians and humanitarian intervention, though interpretations vary.