Legal Definitions - pillaging

Pillaging is a serious war crime that involves the unlawful taking of property for personal gain during an international armed conflict.

Specifically, it occurs when an individual, without the owner's consent, seizes items for their own private use or benefit, rather than for legitimate military necessity or official purposes, within the context of a war between countries.

Here are some examples to illustrate this:

• Example 1: Seizing Personal Valuables from a Home

  During an international armed conflict, an invading soldier enters a civilian home that has been evacuated. Instead of securing the property or searching for military intelligence, the soldier takes a valuable antique clock and a collection of rare coins, intending to keep them for himself. This action constitutes pillaging because the soldier *appropriated property* (the clock and coins) *without the owner's consent*, *for his personal use*, and it occurred *in relation to an international armed conflict*.

• Example 2: Looting a Commercial Establishment for Private Benefit

  In a town occupied by foreign forces during an international war, a group of soldiers breaks into a local electronics store. They systematically remove televisions, gaming consoles, and laptops, distributing them among themselves for personal entertainment and to send home, rather than for any military operational need. This is pillaging because the soldiers *took property* (the electronics) *without permission* from the store owner, *for their private enjoyment*, and it happened *within the context of an international armed conflict*.

• Example 3: A Commander Directing Seizure of Luxury Goods

  A high-ranking officer in an occupying army, during an international conflict, orders his subordinates to seize all fine wines and expensive artwork from a private estate. He intends to keep these items for his personal collection and to host lavish parties, not to use them as military provisions or for strategic purposes. This constitutes pillaging because the officer *directed the appropriation of property* (the wines and artwork) *without the owner's consent*, *for his personal benefit and enjoyment*, and it took place *during an international armed conflict*.