"Enforced disappearance of persons" is a crime against humanity punishable under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The ICC Elements of Crimes defines the crime as follows:
- The perpetrator arrested, detained, or abducted one or more persons;
- The perpetrator later refused to acknowledge the arrest, detention, or abduction and to give information as to the whereabouts of the victim(s);
- The perpetrator knew that the arrest would be followed by such refusal;
- The arrest and subsequent refusal were carried out or authorized by a government or political organization;
- The conduct was committed in part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population, and the perpetrator knew as much.
[Last updated in October of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]