The Destruction of Cultural Property in the Syrian Conflict: Legal Implications and Obligations

Emma Cunliffe, Nibal Muhesen, Marina Lostal

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This article comes as the conflict in Syria has entered its fifth year, bringing with it loss of life and the displacement of the Syrian people as well as extensive damage to, and destruction of, the country's cultural heritage. This article will first provide an overview and explanation of the national and international legal framework for protecting cultural property in conflict as it applies to the Syrian State and the non-State actors involved, using examples from the whole conflict, including the recent actions of Da'esh. Second, we demonstrate that the destruction of all types of cultural property, regardless of its importance, can be considered a prosecutable violation of these laws, and we examine the possibilities for prosecution. Following from this discussion, we question whether the existing framework can be considered effective and consider the role the international heritage community can play.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Journal of Cultural Property
Volume23
Issue number01
Pages (from-to)1-31
Number of pages31
ISSN0940-7391
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Mar 2016

Keywords

  • Faculty of Humanities
  • Cultural Heritage
  • Cultural property
  • Syrain conflict
  • International Law
  • Reconstruction of Syria

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Destruction of Cultural Property in the Syrian Conflict: Legal Implications and Obligations'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this