Legal Definitions - international crime

International crime refers to serious violations of international law that are punishable by law. These crimes include acts such as genocide and crimes against humanity, which are considered to be among the most heinous crimes that can be committed.

For an act to be considered an international crime, three conditions must be met:

1. The criminal norm must be derived from a treaty or customary international law, and must have direct binding force on individuals without intermediate provisions of municipal law.
2. The provision must be made for the prosecution of acts penalized by international law in accordance with the principle of universal jurisdiction.
3. A treaty establishing liability for the act must bind the great majority of countries.

Examples of international crimes include:

• Genocide: the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.
• Crimes against humanity: acts that are committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.
• War crimes: violations of the laws and customs of war, including the mistreatment of prisoners of war, the killing of civilians, and the use of weapons that cause unnecessary suffering.

These examples illustrate the definition of international crime because they are all serious violations of international law that are punishable by law. They also meet the three conditions for an act to be considered an international crime, as they are all derived from treaties or customary international law, can be prosecuted under the principle of universal jurisdiction, and are recognized as crimes by the majority of countries.