How should captured individuals be treated under the Law of War?

• A. They should be killed on capture
• B. They should be treated with LoW protections (POWs, civilians, sick)
• C. They should be treated as enemies with no rights
• D. They should be released immediately

Answer: (B)

Captured individuals are protected by international humanitarian law and must be treated humanely at all times. The Law of War requires that those who are detained or captured receive protections appropriate to their status—whether they are combatants who have become prisoners of war, civilians under the detaining power, or the sick and wounded—regardless of who they are or why they were captured. They must not be killed, tortured, or subjected to cruel or degrading treatment, and they must be provided with basic needs such as food, shelter, medical care, and the opportunity to communicate with family. Prisoners of war should be treated with dignity and are generally to be repatriated after the conflict, subject to due process. Treating captured people as enemies with no rights or killing them on capture would violate these obligations, and releasing them immediately does not reflect the ongoing protections they are owed under the Law of War.