Crimes against humanity are acts purposefully committed “as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian or an identifiable part of a civilian population.” (United Nations). The definition of crimes against humanity evolved over history to erase ambiguity. Still, there is no one clear definition that lists what constitutes a crime against humanity. The 1998 Rome Statute creating the International Criminal Court (ICC) established a list of various acts that are punishable under the notion of crimes against humanity.

The list includes: “murder, extermination, enslavement, torture, forcible transfers of populations, imprisonment, rape, persecution, enforced disappearance, and apartheid, among others.” (Rome Statute). However, the prosecution of such crimes is not limited to this list and can be used in a broader sense condemning other acts that “shock the conscience of mankind.” (ICC). The idea embodied in this concept is to modify traditional notions of sovereignty according to which state leaders and those who obeyed them enjoyed immunity. It makes practices of atrocities tolerated or condoned by a government or any authority to not go unpunishable.

This picture was taken during the Iraqi October Revolution of 2019, where many civilians protested against the corruption of the Iraqi government and were faced with brutal crimes that killed hundreds of Iraqis. None of the crimes committed during the revolution were prosecuted still.

This section will explore the definition of crimes against humanity closely and its legal elements. The section will also analyze acts committed around the world that might reach the threshold of such crimes and the legal implications surrounding them.