Peru
Practice Relating to Rule 27. Religious Personnel
Peru’s IHL Manual (2004) states: “The status accorded to … religious personnel and objects means that they are not considered combatants or military objectives.”
The manual further states:
(1) Religious personnel can be retained to tend to the spiritual needs of the prisoners of war of their own armed forces. If there is no work for them, they must be repatriated.
(2) The status of retained religious personnel is as follows:
(a) they are not prisoners of war;
(b) in practice, their freedom can be restricted in the interests of the security of the detaining power and they can be assigned to provide services in prisoner-of-war camps and labour detachments.
(3) They are entitled, as a minimum, to the protection granted to prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions.
Peru’s IHL and Human Rights Manual (2010) states in its Glossary of Terms: “The following persons are protected by international law: … religious personnel”.
The manual further states: “The status accorded to … religious personnel and objects means that they are not considered combatants or military objectives.”
The manual also states:
(1) Religious personnel can be retained to tend to the spiritual needs of the prisoners of war of their own armed forces. If there is no work for them, they must be repatriated.
(2) The status of retained religious personnel is as follows:
…
(b) In practice, their freedom can be restricted in the interests of the security of the detaining power and they can be assigned to provide services in prisoner-of-war camps and labour detachments.