ethnic persecution

Ethnic persecution is a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) . The ICC Elements of Crimes specifies that an ethnic persecution prosecution must show:

Severe deprivation of fundamental rights ;

  • The victims were targeted by reason of the identity of the group;
  • The targeting was based on political, racial, national, ethnic , cultural, religious, or gender identity;
  • The deprivation was committed in connection with another crime against international law ;
  • The deprivation was committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population;
  • The perpetrator knew or intended the deprivation to be a part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.

The genocide (or mass murder) in Rwanda is an example of ethnic persecution.

[Last reviewed in September of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

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