Art 51. - Protection
of the civilian population
1. The civilian population and individual civilians shall enjoy general protection
against dangers arising from military operations. To give effect to this protection,
the following rules, which are additional to other applicable rules of international
law, shall be observed in all circumstances.
2. The civilian population as such, as well as individual civilians, shall not
be the object of attack. Acts or threats of violence the primary purpose of which
is to spread terror among the civilian population are prohibited.
3. Civilians shall enjoy the protection afforded by this section, unless and for
such time as they take a direct part in hostilities.
4. Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited. Indiscriminate attacks are:
(a) those which are not directed at a specific military objective;
(b) those which employ a method or means of combat which cannot be directed at
a specific military objective; or
(c) those which employ a method or means of combat the effects of which cannot
be limited as required by this Protocol;
and consequently, in each such case, are of a nature to strike military objectives
and civilians or civilian objects without distinction.
5. Among others, the following types of attacks are to be considered as indiscriminate:
(a) an attack by bombardment by any methods or means which treats as a single
military objective a number of clearly separated and distinct military objectives
located in a city, town, village or other area containing a similar concentration
of civilians or civilian objects;
and
(b) an attack which may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life,
injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which
would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.
6. Attacks against the civilian population or civilians by way of reprisals are
prohibited.
7. The presence or movements of the civilian population or individual civilians
shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations,
in particular in attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield,
favour or impede military operations. The Parties to the conflict shall not direct
the movement of the civilian population or individual civilians in order to attempt
to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield military operations.
8. Any violation of these prohibitions shall not release the Parties to the conflict
from their legal obligations with respect to the civilian population and civilians,
including the obligation to take the precautionary measures provided for in Article
57.