2 MPs propose framework law to define and penalize war crimes

BEIRUT — Amid daily Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Chouf MP Halime Kaakour and Zahrani MP Michel Moussa submitted a bill to Parliament on Monday to align Lebanese legislation with international criminal law.

The proposal, titled "Punishing Crimes Under International Criminal Law," aims to allow the prosecution and punishment of war crimes and crimes against humanity

Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, Moussa said the proposal seeks to "align national legislation with international humanitarian law," particularly the four 1949 Geneva Conventions, which establish rules for the protection of people during armed conflict, as well as the two additional protocols adopted in 1977.

These rules prohibit attacks on civilians, medical personnel, and private and public property that do not constitute a direct military objective. They also protect cultural, religious, and archaeological heritage that forms part of a people's identity.

Moussa said the proposal calls for the adoption of a "framework law" that would facilitate the implementation of international conventions. According to him, a single text defining war crimes and their penalties would end the fragmentation of current Lebanese legislation.

He pointed to countries that have adopted unified laws directly incorporating the principles of international humanitarian law. He also noted that Lebanon has previously succeeded in unifying legislation in other fields, including the protection of the rights of people with disabilities in 2000 and environmental protection in 2002.

Moussa added that a new law would help complete and modernize existing legislation, enabling Lebanese courts to issue rulings based on clear definitions of violations and penalties. "Armed with national verdicts, the Lebanese government would then have substantial tools to bring cases before the International Criminal Court or the International Court of Justice and better combat impunity," he said.