The Geneva Conventions, which was adopted before 1949, were concerned with the soldiers and prisoners only, and not with the protection of civilians. World War II had shown the devastating consequences of the absence of a Convention for the protection of civilians during the war. On August 12, 1949 a new Convention was made for the protection of civilians in time of war. This Convention was called Fourth Geneva Convention or Geneva Convention, 1949. According to Fourth Geneva Convention, civilians have the protections as long as they do not take a direct part in the war. It also permits the free passage of foodstuff, clothes, medicine, and also objects necessary for religious worship proposed for civilians. This Convention also covers civilian property, culture and religious buildings as well.
This Convention was signed by 194 countries among all over the world. The most essential provisions written under this Convention are:
- According to Article 2, countries that had signed the Convention will be covered by it in case of any armed conflicts, war and occupation of another country’s territory.
- According to Article 3, even if there are no conflicts of international characters, the parties must provide minimum protection to non-combatants, associates of military forces who have lain down their arms and out of the fight (hors de combat) due to injury or imprisonment.
In all circumstances they must be treated kindly or humanely with the following prohibitions:
- Taking of hostages.
- Corporal Punishment (deliberate infliction of pain as revenge for an offence).
- Violence of life and persons, unkind treatment and torture, defacement.
- Humiliating and undignified treatment.
- Medical and scientific experiments.
- According to Article 4, protected persons are those who find themselves, in case of occupation or conflict, in the hands of international occupying power.
- Article 13 states about the general protection of populations against certain consequences of war like the distinction based on color, religion, nationality, or political opinion.
There is also one provision written for the status and treatment of protected persons in the territories of the parties to the conflict and to occupied territories. According to Article 32, conflicts parties should not give any physical and mental torture to the protected persons. Prohibition written in the Article 2 also applies to it. According to Fourth Geneva Convention, collective punishments are a war crime. Collective punishment is a punishment of a group of people as a result of the behavior of one or more individuals. According to Article 33, the protected persons should not be punished for a crime not committed by them.
