Belgium
Practice Relating to Rule 52. Pillage
Belgium’s Law of War Manual (1983) states: “It is prohibited to pillage a town or a locality, even taken by assault.”
Belgium’s Teaching Manual for Soldiers provides: “Pillage and theft of [civilian] property are prohibited.”
Belgium’s Penal Code (1867), as amended in 2003, provides:
War crimes envisaged in the 1949 [Geneva] Conventions … and in the [1977 Additional Protocols I and II] … , as well as in Article 8(2)(f) of the [1998 ICC Statute], and listed below, … constitute crimes under international law and shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of the present title … :
…
25. pillaging a town or place, even when taken by assault.
Belgium’s Law relating to the Repression of Grave Breaches of International Humanitarian Law (1993), as amended in 2003, provides:
War crimes envisaged in the 1949 [Geneva] Conventions … and in the [1977 Additional Protocols I and II] … , as well as in Article 8(2)(f) of the [1998 ICC Statute], and listed below, … constitute crimes under international law and shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of the present title … :
…
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bis pillaging a town or place, even when taken by assault.