This decentralized coercive order through the primitive self-help measures shows that the international law is in statu nascendi. Consequently, some states claim that the prohibition of reprisals against civilians is not part of customary international law and there is a possibility to target enemy civilians despite the requirement of conformity in all cases to the laws of humanity and morality. However, the narrow scope of reprisals resulting from 1974-1977 Conferences has not gained support from major powers of the West. In 20th century, the need to restrict to only military target the so-called evil of wars against humanity arose and the 1949 Geneva Conventions codified important restrictions that were extended in their 1977 AP I. The thesis seeks to analyze the reason behind the gap between IHL and international criminal law with respect to the traditional and controversial mechanism of enforcing the laws of war: "Belligerent reprisals." Traditionally, the doctrine of belligerent reprisals was the only available and effective mechanism of enforcing the laws of war.
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