April 8, 2015
The videos disseminated online by the self-proclaimed Islamic State of the murder of captured persons have become grisly icons of this group’s infamy. These depictions of the slaughter of individuals and groups contain evidence of the Islamic State’s commission of crimes under international law. But these videos are more than digital records of war crimes. The videos themselves violate the law of armed conflict and constitute war crimes.
The Islamic State has posted videos on the Internet that record the killing of people detained by the group during the armed conflicts in which it is engaged. The videos are premeditated products; they reflect planning, preparation, staging, symbolism, rehearsal, and editing. These efforts demonstrate that the videos were not random acts but were undertaken with the direction, knowledge, and support of the Islamic State’s leadership.
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