Germany
Practice Relating to Rule 147. Reprisals against Protected Objects
Section F. Works and installations containing dangerous forces
Germany’s Military Manual (1992), referring to Article 56(4) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, provides: “It is expressly prohibited by agreement to make reprisals against: … works and installations containing dangerous forces”.
Germany’s IHL Manual (1996) provides: “Reprisals are expressly prohibited against … works and installations which constitute a source of danger”.
In 1990, in a parliamentary debate on the ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocols, a member of the German Parliament called the prohibition of reprisals as contained in the Additional Protocol I “newly introduced rules”.
Upon ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, Germany declared:
The Federal Republic of Germany will react against serious and systematic violations of the obligations imposed by Additional Protocol I … with all means admissible under international law in order to prevent any further violation.