Pillaging is a war crime under international humanitarian law. To prove a crime of pillaging at the International Criminal Court, it must be shown that:
- the perpetrator appropriated property;
- with the intention of private or personal use;
- without the owner's consent;
- in relation to an international armed conflict.
See also: Customary International Humanitarian Law, Rule 52. Pillage is Prohibited; Article 33 of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols; Article 28 of the Laws and Customs of War on Land (Hague IV) of 1907; and Article 8(2)(b)(xvi) and (e)(v) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
[Last reviewed in July of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]