WAR CRIMES IN THE 2008 GEORGIA—RUSSIA CONFLICT

Little has been written within empirically driven criminology about crimes committed during the conduct of warfare. The laws of war are over a century old and the current Geneva Conventions more than 50. This paper addresses this gap by providing a partial account of the nature and distribution of violations of the Geneva Conventions during the August 2008 Georgia—Russia conflict and during the post-conflict occupation period. Drawing on numerous investigations by multiple parties, it establishes that war crimes were committed by all belligerent parties. Yet, not all parties committed the same types or same number of crimes. These distribution factors are examined in light of international transnational controls and the motivations each party brought to the conflict.