Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program

Definitions

CBSA

Canada Border Services Agency

CIC

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Crimes against Humanity

Includes crimes such as murder, extermination, enslavement, torture and any other inhumane act committed against civilians, in a widespread or systematic manner, whether or not the country is in a state of war, and regardless if the act is in violation of the territorial law in force at the time. The acts may have been committed by state officials or private individuals, and against their own nationals or nationals of other states.

DOJ

Department of Justice of Canada

Genocide

The deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, whether committed in times of peace or in times of war, by state officials or private individuals.

RCMP

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

War Crimes

Criminal acts committed during international armed conflicts (war between states) and civil wars, which violate the rules of war as defined by international law. These acts include the ill-treatment of civilian populations within occupied territories, the violation and exploitation of individuals and private property, and the torture and execution of prisoners.

Complicity

Active membership in the organization responsible for committing proscribed atrocities is not required. Generally, a person can be considered "complicit" if, while aware of the acts committed, the person contributes, directly or indirectly, to their occurrence. Membership in an organization responsible for committing the atrocities can be sufficient to establish complicity if the organization in question is one with a limited brutal purpose, such as a death squad.