Editing Law of war (section)

==Remedies for violations==

During conflict, [[punishment]] for violating the laws of war may consist of a specific, deliberate and limited violation of the laws of war in [[reprisal]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

After a conflict ends, any persons who have committed or ordered any breach of the laws of war, especially atrocities, may be held individually accountable for [[war crimes]]. Also, nations that signed the Geneva Conventions are required to search for, try and punish, anyone who had committed or ordered certain "grave breaches" of the laws of war. ([[Third Geneva Convention]], Article 129 and Article 130.)

Combatants who break specific provisions of the laws of war are termed [[unlawful combatants]]. Unlawful combatants who have been captured may lose the status and protections that would otherwise be afforded to them as [[prisoners of war]], but only after a "[[competent tribunal]]" has determined that they are not eligible for POW status (e.g., Third Geneva Convention, Article 5.) At that point, an unlawful combatant may be interrogated, tried, imprisoned, and even executed for their violation of the laws of war pursuant to the domestic law of their captor, but they are still entitled to certain additional protections, including that they be "treated with humanity and, in case of trial, shall not be deprived of the [[Right to a fair trial|rights of fair and regular trial]]." ([[Fourth Geneva Convention]] Article 5.)