Non-State Entity Involvement in Genocide

The question of what kind of non-state entities might commit genocide has been hardly addressed until present. This chapter starts by examining whether the definition of genocide under international law requires any collective entity involvement in the crime. It shows that, strictly speaking, this is not the case. Yet, it is also argued that an individual might only exceptionally commit genocide alone. In most cases, some collective entity involvement is required. In that case, this chapter argues that the nature of such entities should—as with regard to crimes against humanity—not be determined in the abstract but concretely with regard to how the entity relates to the crimes. Consequently, it is shown that different capacities are needed to instigate or commit genocide.