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The Crime of Genocide in Domestic Laws and Penal Codes
Organized by Global Region ( See also
Domestic Laws by language)
Americas Europe Africa Asia-Pacific
Last updated 6 May 2004

Article V: The Contracting Parties undertake to enact, in accordance with their respective Constitutions, the necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of the present Convention, and, in particular, to provide effective penalties for persons guilty of genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in article III.

Implementing the Genocide Convention in Domestic Law

The crime of genocide in domestic law and the domestic prosecution of persons committing genocide are subjects of international significance. Correspondingly, the failure of nations to enact laws against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are matters of international concern. For example, in April 1999, a Swiss court threw out the charge of genocide in the trial of Rwandan mayor, Fulgence Niyonteze, because the crime of genocide was not at that time a part of Swiss law. Many countries have more effective laws for air piracy (hijacking) than for genocide.

The failure of countries to prosecute or extradite perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes has become a matter of tremendous international interest since the October 1998 arrest of former Chilean dictator Pinochet in the United Kingdom on Spanish charges of torture and genocide. Pinochet was released in March 2000 and allowed to return to Chile, but his case has become a crucial turning point in the effort to bring an end to impunity for torture, genocide and other international crimes.

Laws and Penal Codes from Africa
Burkino Faso Article 313 of Burkina Faso's Code Pénal   Article 137 of Côte d'Ivoire's Code Pénal   Article 281 of the Ethiopian Penal Code of 1957
Ghana: Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 1993 Section 1: Genocide   Article 30 of Mali's Code Pénal   Congo (Braz.) Congo (Brazaville)'s 'Law No. 8 - 98 of 31 October 1998'' on genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity
Seychelles' Genocide Act of 1969   South Africa's Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act 27 (July 12, 2002)

Rwanda's Organic Law No. 08/96 on Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity In English (or French)
Loi Organique No. 40/2000 du 26/01/2001 Portant Creation des ‘Jurisdictions Gacaca’ et Organisation des Pousuites des Infractions Constitutives du Crime de Genocide ou de Crimes contra L’Humanite, Commises enter le 1 Octobre 1990 et Le 31 Decembre 1994

Laws and Penal Codes from the Americas
Antigua's Genocide Act, Laws, Vol. 4, chapter 191   Note on Argentina's penal code   Barbados (Genocide Act, chapter 133A
Artículo 138 of Bolivia's Codigo Penal   Brazil's Law N°2.889 of Oct. 1, 1956   Canada's Act on genocide and war crimes [summary] Français [sommaire] Article 318 on Advocating Genocide

Colombia's Código Penal, art 101 & 102)

 

Artículo 127 of the Código Penal (April 14, 1998)

  Artículo 361 of Cuba's Código Penal
Artículo 361 of El Salvador's Código Penal   Artículo 376 of the Código Penal of Guatemala   Jamaica's Offenses against the person (amendment) 1968, s. 33
Artículo 149 of Mexico's Codigo Penal   Artículos 549 & 550 of Nicaragua's Codigo Penal   Artículo 311 of the Código Penal of Panama
Articulo 319 9 of Paraguay's Código Penal   Peru's Title XIV (Law # 26926 (Código Penal, Art. 129)   Note on Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Genocide Act, 1977
  Chapter 50A of the United States Code      
Laws and Penal Codes from Asia and the Pacific
Australia's Genocide Convention Act 1949   Bahrain, Decree No. 4 of 1990 (on genocide)   Bangladesh (International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973
Cambodian Law for prosecuting crimes committed from 1975 to 1979   China (see Hong Kong and Macau)   Chapter 34 (Genocide) of the Fiji Islands Penal Code
Hong Kong (China), Section 9A, Offenses Against Person Ordinance, Cap. 212 - genocide   UNDANG-UNDANG REP. INDONESIA NOMOR 26 TAHUN 2000 - Pasal 8 - genosida  

Statute of the Iraqi Special Tribunal, issued December 10th, 2003

Israeli Law on the Crime of Genocide, 5710 -1950   Kiribati (Gilbert Islands) Penal Code Article 52 (Genocide)   Article 373 (Genocide) of the Kyrgyzstan Criminal Code
Macau (China), Article 230 (Genocide)   New Zealand's Int'l Crimes and ICC Act of Sept. 6, 2000   Solomon Islands, Penal Code Article 52 (Genocide)
Tajikistan's Crimes Against the Peace and Security of Mankind   Tonga (Genocide Act, 1969)   Tuvalu, Penal Code, Article 52 (Genocide)
Vietnam    
Laws and Penal Codes from Europe
Criminal Code of Albania, Chap. 1, Crimes Against Humanity Article 393 of the Criminal code of Armenia   Paragraph 321 of Austria's Strafgesetzbuch
Article 103 and 104 of the Azerbaijan Criminal Code Article 127 of the Belarus Criminal Code   Belgium's Law on serious violations of international humanitarian law
Bosnia-Herzegovia Penal Code, Article 141 Criminal Code of Bulgaria, Article 416 on Genocide   Croatia (Penal Code, art. 156)
Cyprus (Uw 59/ 1980) Czech Republic (Penal Code, art. 259)   Denmark - Law Nr. 132 of April 29, 1955
Article 91 of Estonia's Karistusseadustik eriosa Article 211-1 of France's Code Pénal   Finnish Penal Code on Genocide and Ethnic Agitation
Article 651 (genocide) of Georgia's penal code 220a of Germany's Strafgesetzbuch
Also
VStGB / CCAIL
  Article 155 of Hungary's Penal Code
Ireland's Genocide Act of 1973 Italy's law on Genocide of 9 October 1967, n. 962   Article 71 of the Penal Code of Latvia
Schweiz  unterzeichnet 18 juli 1998 Liechtenstein Penal Code, art. 321 (offsite link) Article 99 of the Lithuanian Criminal Code   Luxembourg's law of 8 August 1985 on genocide
Netherlands (Act of 2 July 1964 Implement-ing the Conv. on Genocide Polish Penal Code (Kodeks Karny) Article 118   Article 239 of Portugal's Codigo Penal
Article 356 of the Romanian Penal Code Artículo 607 of Spain's Codigo Penal   Article 357 of the Russian Federal Criminal Code
Slovakia (Criminal Code, articles 259-265) Slovenia (Penal Code, 1994, Chapter 35, art. 373 and 378)   Lag 169 of Sweden's Lagboken (Act of 20 March 1963)
Schweiz  unterzeichnet 18 juli 1998 Switzerland (Penal Code), Art. 264 Criminal Code of Ukraine, Article 442 on Genocide   United Kingdom 's ICC Bill - 25 August 2000 (offsite PDF file)
Criminal Code of Yugoslavia, Article 141 on Genocide          
Domestic Prosecution of Genocide
In Rwanda, Cambodia, Germany, Kosovo, Latvia and other nations
 
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