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Back to: Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949.
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Article 47 - Circumstances precluding transfer of prisoners

Sick or wounded prisoners of war shall not be transferred as long as their recovery may be endangered by the journey, unless their safety imperatively demands it.

If the combat zone draws closer to a camp, the prisoners of war in the said camp shall not be transferred unless their transfer can be carried out in adequate conditions of safety, or if they are exposed to greater risks by remaining on the spot than by being transferred.

Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgements and Abbreviations
Introduction
Title of the Convention
Preamble
Part I : General provisions
Article 1 - Respect for the Convention
Article 2 - Application of the Convention
Article 3 - Conflicts not of an international character
Article 4 - Prisoners of war
Article 5 - Beginning and end of application
Article 6 - Special agreements
Article 7 - Non-renunciation of rights
Article 8 - Protecting Powers
Article 9 - Activities of the ICRC and other impartial humanitarian organizations
Article 10 - Substitutes for Protecting Powers
Article 11 - Conciliation procedure
Part II : General protection of prisoners of war
Article 12 - Responsibility for the treatment of prisoners and conditions for their transfer to another Power
Article 13 - Humane treatment of prisoners
Article 14 - Respect for the persons and honour of prisoners
Article 15 - Maintenance of prisoners
Article 16 - Equality of treatment of prisoners
Part III : Captivity
Section I : Beginning of captivity
Article 17 - Questioning of prisoners
Article 18 - Property of prisoners
Article 19 - Evacuation of prisoners
Article 20 - Conditions of evacuation of prisoners
Section II: Internment of prisoners of war
Chapter I : General observations
Article 21 - Restriction of liberty of movement and release on parole
Article 22 - Places and conditions of internment
Article 23 - Security of prisoners
Article 24 - Permanent transit camps
Chapter II : Quarters, food and clothing of prisoners of war
Article 25 - Quarters
Article 26 - Food
Article 27 - Clothing
Article 28 - Canteens
Chapter III: Hygiene and medical attention
Article 29 - Hygiene
Article 30 - Medical attention
Article 31 - Medical inspections
Article 32 - Prisoners engaged on medical duties
Chapter IV: Medical personnel and chaplains retained to assist prisoners of war
Article 33 - Rights and privileges of retained personnel
Chapter V : Religious, intellectual and physical activities
Article 34 - Religious duties
Article 35 - Retained chaplains assisting prisoners
Article 36 - Prisoners who are ministers of religion
Article 37 - Prisoners without a minister of their religion
Article 38 - Intellectual, educational and recreational pursuits, sports and games
Chapter VI: Discipline
Article 39 - Administration. Saluting
Article 40 - The wearing of badges and decorations
Article 41 - Posting of the Convention, and of regulations and orders concerning prisoners
Article 42 - Use of weapons against prisoners of war
Chapter VII: Rank of prisoners of war
Article 43 - Notification of ranks
Article 44 - Treatment of officers
Article 45 - Treatment of other prisoners of war
Chapter VIII: Transfer of prisoners of war after their arrival in camp
Article 46 - Conditions for transfer of prisoners
Article 47 - Circumstances precluding transfer of prisoners
Article 48 - Procedure for transfer of prisoners
Section III: Labour of prisoners of war
Article 49 - General observations on labour of prisoners of war
Article 50 - Authorized work
Article 51 - Working conditions
Article 52 - Dangerous and humiliating labour
Article 53 - Duration of labour
Article 54 - Working pay. Occupational accidents and diseases
Article 55 - Medical supervision
Article 56 - Labour detachments
Article 57 - Prisoners working for private employers
Section IV: Financial resources of prisoners of war
Article 58 - Ready money
Article 59 - Amounts in cash taken from prisoners
Article 60 - Advances in pay
Article 61 - Supplementary pay
Article 62 - Working pay
Article 63 - Transfer of funds
Article 64 - Prisoners' accounts
Article 65 - Management of prisoners' accounts
Article 66 - Winding up of prisoners’ accounts
Article 67 - Arrangements between Parties to the conflict
Article 68 - Claims for compensation
Section V: Relations of prisoners of war with the exterior
Article 69 - Notification of measures taken
Article 70 - Capture cards
Article 71 - Correspondence
Article 72 - Relief shipments: General principles
Article 73 - Collective relief shipments
Article 74 - Relief shipments: Exemption from charges and dues
Article 75 - Special means of transport
Article 76 - Censorship and examination
Article 77 - Preparation, execution and transmission of legal documents
Section VI : Relations between prisoners of war and the authorities
Chapter I: Complaints of prisoners of war respecting the conditions of captivity
Article 78 - Complaints and requests from prisoners
Chapter II : Prisoner of war representatives
Article 79 - Election of prisoners’ representatives
Article 80 - Duties of prisoners’ representatives
Article 81 - Prerogatives of prisoners’ representatives
Chapter III : Penal and disciplinary sanctions -- I. General provisions
Article 82 - Applicable legislation
Article 83 - Choice of disciplinary or judicial proceedings
Article 84 - Courts
Article 85 - Offences committed before capture
Article 86 - The prohibition against double jeopardy (non bis in idem)
Article 87 - Penalties
Article 88 - Execution of penalties
Chapter III : Penal and disciplinary sanctions -- II. Disciplinary sanctions
Article 89 - Forms of disciplinary punishment
Article 90 - Duration of disciplinary punishments
Article 91 - Successful escape
Article 92 - Unsuccessful escape
Article 93 - Escapes: Connected offences
Article 94 - Escapes: Notification of recapture
Article 95 - Disciplinary procedure: Confinement awaiting hearing
Article 96 - Disciplinary procedure: Competent authorities and right of defence
Article 97 - Execution of disciplinary punishment: Premises
Article 98 - Execution of disciplinary punishment: Essential safeguards
Chapter III : Penal and disciplinary sanctions -- III. Judicial proceedings
Article 99 - Judicial procedure: General principles
Article 100 - Death penalty
Article 101 - Delay in execution of the death penalty
Article 102 - Judicial procedure: Conditions for validity of sentence
Article 103 - Judicial investigations and confinement awaiting trial
Article 104 - Notification of judicial proceedings
Article 105 - Rights and means of defence
Article 106 - Appeals
Article 107 - Notification of judgments and sentences
Article 108 - Execution of judicial penalties: Premises and essential safeguards
Part IV: Termination of captivity
Section I : Direct repatriation and accommodation in neutral countries
Article 109 - Direct repatriation and accommodation in neutral countries: General observations
Article 110 - Cases of repatriation and accommodation
Article 111 - Internment in a neutral country
Article 112 - Mixed Medical Commissions
Article 113 - Prisoners entitled to examination by Mixed Medical Commissions
Article 114 - Prisoners meeting with accidents
Article 115 - Prisoners serving a sentence
Article 116 - Costs of repatriation
Article 117 - Activity after repatriation
Section II: Release and repatriation of prisoners of war at the close of hostilities
Article 118 - Release and repatriation
Article 119 - Details of repatriation procedure
Section III: Death of prisoners of war
Article 120 - Prescriptions regarding the dead, including wills and death certificates
Article 121 - Prisoners killed or injured in special circumstances
Part V: Information bureaux and relief societies for prisoners of war
Article 122 - National information bureaux
Article 123 - Central Tracing Agency
Article 124 - Exemption from charges of national information bureaux and the Central Tracing Agency
Article 125 - Facilities for relief societies and other organizations assisting prisoners of war
Part VI : Execution of the Convention
Section I: General provisions
Article 126 - Supervision by the Protecting Powers and the ICRC
Article 127 - Dissemination of the Convention
Article 128 - Translation. Implementing laws and regulations
Article 129 - Penal sanctions
Article 130 - Grave breaches
Article 131 - Responsibilities of the Contracting Parties
Article 132 - Enquiry procedure
Section II: Final provisions
Article 133 - Languages
Article 134 - Relation to the 1929 Convention
Article 135 - Relation to the 1899 or 1907 Hague Conventions
Article 136 - Signature
Article 137 - Ratification
Article 138 - Coming into force
Article 139 - Accession
Article 140 - Notification of accessions
Article 141 - Immediate effect
Article 142 - Denunciation
Article 143 - Registration with the United Nations
Testimonium
Sources
ANNEX I - Model agreement concerning direct repatriation and accommodation in neutral countries of wounded and sick prisoners of war (see article 110)
Part I - Part I - Principles for direct repatriation and accommodation in neutral countries
I - II - Part II -- General observations
ANNEX II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions (see Article 112)
Article 1 - Annex II: Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Composition
Article 2 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Appointment of neutral members
Article 3 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Procedure
Article 4 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Deputy members
Article 5 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Alternative procedure for appointment
Article 6 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Professional qualification for neutral members
Article 7 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Status of the commission
Article 8 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Terms of service
Article 9 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Commencement of work
Article 10 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Tasks of the commission
Article 11 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Communication of decisions
Article 12 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Obligation of the detaining power
Article 13 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Alternative solution
Article 14 - Annex II : Regulations concerning mixed medical commissions - Functions of the commissions to be permanent
ANNEX III: Regulations concerning collective relief (see Article 73)
Article 1 - Annex III : Regulations concerning collective relief - Distribution
Article 2 - Annex III : Regulations concerning collective relief - Rules for distribution
Article 3 - Annex III : Regulations concerning collective relief - Freedom of movement
Article 4 - Annex III : Regulations concerning collective relief - Facilities
Article 5 - Annex III : Regulations concerning collective relief - Enquiries and reports
Article 6 - Annex III : Regulations concerning collective relief - Right to build up reserve stocks
Article 7 - Annex III : Regulations concerning collective relief - Withdrawal of clothing
Article 8 - Annex III : Regulations concerning collective relief - Purchase of relief supply in the territory of the detaining power
Article 9 - Annex III: Regulations concerning collective relief - Other means of distribution
IV - A - A. Identity card (see Article 4)
IV - B - B. Capture card (see Article 70)
IV - C - C. Correspondence card and letter (see Article 71)
IV - D - D. Notification of death (see Article 120)
IV - E - E. Repatriation certificate (see Annex II, Article 11)
V - Model regulations concerning payments sent by prisoners to their own country (see Article 63)
Article 47
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