Switzerland
Practice Relating to Rule 65. Perfidy
Section B. Killing, injuring or capturing an adversary by resort to perfidy
Switzerland’s Basic Military Manual (1987) provides: “It is prohibited to kill or injure by treachery individuals belonging to the enemy nation or army.” It also states: “It is not permitted to place a price on the head of an enemy military or civil leader.”
Switzerland’s Military Criminal Code (1927), taking into account amendments entered into force up to 2011, states in a chapter entitled “War crimes”:
Art. 110
Articles 112–114 apply in the context of international armed conflicts, including in situations of occupation, and, if the nature of the offence does not exclude it, in the context of non-international armed conflicts.
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Art. 112c
1 The penalty shall be a custodial sentence of not less than three years for any person who, in the context of an armed conflict:
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d. kills or wounds an enemy combatant treacherously[.]
Switzerland’s Penal Code (1937), taking into account amendments entered into force up to 2011, states under the title “War crimes”:
Art. 264b
Articles 264d–264j apply in the context of international armed conflicts, including in situations of occupation, and, if the nature of the offence does not exclude it, in the context of non-international armed conflicts.
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Art. 264g
1 The penalty shall be a custodial sentence of not less than three years for any person who, in the context of an armed conflict:
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d. kills or wounds an enemy combatant treacherously[.]
Switzerland’s ABC of International Humanitarian Law (2009) states: “International humanitarian law prohibits killing, injuring or capturing an adversary by resorting to perfidy.”
In 2010, in its Report on IHL and Current Armed Conflicts, Switzerland’s Federal Council stated:
3.3 Increasing use of guerrilla tactics…
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International humanitarian law in force treats these cases in a relatively complete manner, binding non-State and State actors alike. Feigning to have protected civilian status or another protected status (e.g. member of the medical or religious personnel, member of the UN) in order to kill, injure or capture an adversary constitutes an act of perfidy contrary to international law.

[footnotes in original omitted]