Prisoners of war

Prisoners of war, combatant who has been captured by or has surrendered to an enemy state. The Hague Convention of 1907 and the Geneva Conventions of 1919 and 1949 established rules in international law for the protection of such prisoners, notably that they should not be maltreated nor required to give any information other than their name, rank, and serial number, and that they should be repatriated upon the cessation of hostilities.

See also: Geneva Conventions.