نوع مقاله : مقاله علمی- پژوهشی مستقل
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Bioterrorism, as one of the most dangerous forms of contemporary threats to international peace and security,entails extensive human, public health,and environmental consequences.Despite the severity of its effects,bioterrorism has not been explicitly criminalized as anindependent offence within the jurisdiction of the International CriminalCourt.This normative gap raises significant questions regarding the possibility of international criminal prosecution of perpetrators of such acts. The purpose of this article is to assess the feasibility of legally classifying bioterrorism under the international crimes enumerated in the Statute of the International CriminalCourt,namely war crimes, crimes against humanity,and genocide. This study adopts a descriptive–analytical method and is based on an examination of instruments and provisions of international criminal law. The findings indicate that bioterrorism may fall within the scope of war crimes when committed in the context of an armed conflict and when the requisite legal conditions are met.Furthermore, where bioterrorist acts are perpetrated as part of a widespread or systematic attackdirected against a civilian population, they may be classified as crimes against humanity. However, the inclusion of bioterrorism within the legal framework of genocide is contingent upon the establishment of a specific intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,ethnic, racial, or religious group, and is therefore limited to exceptional and narrowly defined circumstances. The article concludes that although bioterrorism is not recognized asan autonomous crime under the Statute of the International Criminal Court, a consistent and purposive interpretation of the existing provisions allows for its examination and prosecution within the framework of international crimes
کلیدواژهها English