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Prisoners of war may be partially or wholly released on parole
or promise, in so far as is allowed by the laws of the Power on
which they depend. Such measures shall be taken particularly in
cases where this may contribute to the improvement of their state
of health. No prisoner of war shall be compelled to accept liberty
on parole or promise.
Upon the outbreak of hostilities, each Party to the conflict
shall notify the adverse Party of the laws and regulations
allowing or forbidding its own nationals to accept liberty on
parole or promise. Prisoners of war who are paroled or who have
given their promise in conformity with the laws and regulations so
notified, are bound on their personal honour scrupulously to
fulfil, both towards the Power on which they depend and towards
the Power which has captured them, the engagements of their
paroles or promises. In such cases, the Power on which they depend
is bound neither to require nor to accept from them any service
incompatible with the parole or promise given.
Article 22
Prisoners of war may be interned only in premises located on
land and affording every guarantee of hygiene and healthfulness.
Except in particular cases which are justified by the interest of
the prisoners themselves, they shall not be interned in
penitentiaries.
Prisoners of war interned in unhealthy areas, or where the
climate is injurious for them, shall be removed as soon as
possible to a more favourable climate.
The Detaining Power shall assemble prisoners of war in camps
or camp compounds according to their nationality, language and
customs, provided that such prisoners shall not be separated from
prisoners of war belonging to the armed forces with which they
were serving at the time of their capture, except with their
consent.
Article 23
No prisoner of war may at any time be sent to or detained in
areas where he may be exposed to the fire of the combat zone, nor
may his presence be used to render certain points or areas immune
from military operations.
Prisoners of war shall have shelters against air bombardment
and other hazards of war, to the same extent as the local civilian
population. With the exception of those engaged in the protection
of their quarters against the aforesaid hazards, they may enter
such shelters as soon as possible after the giving of the alarm.
Any other protective measure taken in favour of the population
shall also apply to them.
Detaining Powers shall give the Powers concerned, through the
intermediary of the Protecting Powers, all useful information
regarding the geographical location of prisoner of war camps.
Whenever military considerations permit, prisoner of war camps
shall be indicated in the day-time by the letters PW or PG, placed
so as to be clearly visible from the air. The Powers concerned
may, however, agree upon any other system of marking. Only
prisoner of war camps shall be marked as such.
Article 24
Transit or screening camps of a permanent kind shall be fitted
out under conditions similar to those described in the present
Section, and the prisoners therein shall have the same treatment
as in other camps.
Chapter II. QUARTERS, FOOD AND CLOTHING OF
PRISONERS OF WAR
Article 25
Prisoners of war shall be quartered under conditions as
favourable as those for the forces of the Detaining Power who are
billeted in the same area. The said conditions shall make
allowance for the habits and customs of the prisoners and shall in
no case be prejudicial to their health.
The foregoing provisions shall apply in particular to the
dormitories of prisoners of war as regards both total surface and
minimum cubic space, and the general installations, bedding and
blankets.
The premises provided for the use of prisoners of war
individually or collectively, shall be entirely protected from
dampness and adequately heated and lighted, in particular between
dusk and lights out. All precautions must be taken against the
danger of fire.
In any camps in which women prisoners of war, as well as men,
are accommodated, separate dormitories shall be provided for them.
Article 26
The basic daily food rations shall be sufficient in quantity,
quality and variety to keep prisoners of war in good health and to
prevent loss of weight or the development of nutritional
deficiencies. Account shall also be taken of the habitual diet of
the prisoners.
The Detaining Power shall supply prisoners of war who work
with such additional rations as are necessary for the labour on
which they are employed.
Sufficient drinking water shall be supplied to prisoners of
war. The use of tobacco shall be permitted.
Prisoners of war shall, as far as possible, be associated with
the preparation of their meals; they may be employed for that
purpose in the kitchens. Furthermore, they shall be given the
means of preparing, themselves, the additional food in their
possession.
Adequate premises shall be provided for messing.
Collective disciplinary measures affecting food are
prohibited.
Article 27
Clothing, underwear and footwear shall be supplied to
prisoners of war in sufficient quantities by the Detaining Power,
which shall make allowance for the climate of the region where the
prisoners are detained. Uniforms of enemy armed forces captured by
the Detaining Power should, if suitable for the climate, be made
available to clothe prisoners of war.
The regular replacement and repair of the above articles shall
be assured by the Detaining Power. In addition, prisoners of war
who work shall receive appropriate clothing, wherever the nature
of the work demands.
Article 28
Canteens shall be installed in all camps, where prisoners of
war may procure foodstuffs, soap and tobacco and ordinary articles
in daily use. The tariff shall never be in excess of local market
prices.
The profits made by camp canteens shall be used for the
benefit of the prisoners; a special fund shall be created for this
purpose. The prisoners' representative shall have the right to
collaborate in the management of the canteen and of this fund.
When a camp is closed down, the credit balance of the special
fund shall be handed to an international welfare organization, to
be employed for the benefit of prisoners of war of the same
nationality as those who have contributed to the fund. In case of
a general repatriation, such profits shall be kept by the
Detaining Power, subject to any agreement to the contrary between
the Powers concerned.
Chapter III. HYGIENE AND MEDICAL ATTENTION
Article 29
The Detaining Power shall be bound to take all sanitary
measures necessary to ensure the cleanliness and healthfulness of
camps and to prevent epidemics.
Prisoners of war shall have for their use, day and night,
conveniences which conform to the rules of hygiene and are
maintained in a constant state of cleanliness. In any camps in
which women prisoners of war are accommodated, separate
conveniences shall be provided for them.
Also, apart from the baths and showers with which the camps
shall be furnished prisoners of war shall be provided with
sufficient water and soap for their personal toilet and for
washing their personal laundry; the necessary installations,
facilities and time shall be granted them for that purpose.
Article 30
Every camp shall have an adequate infirmary where prisoners of
war may have the attention they require, as well as appropriate
diet. Isolation wards shall, if necessary, be set aside for cases
of contagious or mental disease.
Prisoners of war suffering from serious disease, or whose
condition necessitates special treatment, a surgical operation or
hospital care, must be admitted to any military or civilian
medical unit where such treatment can be given, even if their
repatriation is contemplated in the near future. Special
facilities shall be afforded for the care to be given to the
disabled, in particular to the blind, and for their.
rehabilitation, pending repatriation.
Prisoners of war shall have the attention, preferably, of
medical personnel of the Power on which they depend and, if
possible, of their nationality.
Prisoners of war may not be prevented from presenting
themselves to the medical authorities for examination. The
detaining authorities shall, upon request, issue to every prisoner
who has undergone treatment, an official certificate indicating
the nature of his illness or injury, and the duration and kind of
treatment received. A duplicate of this certificate shall be
forwarded to the Central Prisoners of War Agency.
The costs of treatment, including those of any apparatus
necessary for the maintenance of prisoners of war in good health,
particularly dentures and other artificial appliances, and
spectacles, shall be borne by the Detaining Power.
Article 31
Medical inspections of prisoners of war shall be held at least
once a month. They shall include the checking and the recording of
the weight of each prisoner of war. Their purpose shall be, in
particular, to supervise the general state of health, nutrition
and cleanliness of prisoners and to detect contagious diseases,
especially tuberculosis, malaria and venereal disease. For this
purpose the most efficient methods available shall be employed,
e.g. periodic mass miniature radiography for the early detection
of tuberculosis.
Article 32
Prisoners of war who, though not attached to the medical
service of their armed forces, are physicians, surgeons, dentists,
nurses or medical orderlies, may be required by the Detaining
Power to exercise their medical functions in the interests of
prisoners of war dependent on the same Power. In that case they
shall continue to be prisoners of war, but shall receive the same
treatment as corresponding medical personnel retained by the
Detaining Power. They shall be exempted from any other work under
Article 49.
Chapter IV. MEDICAL PERSONNEL AND CHAPLAINS RETAINED
TO ASSIST PRISONERS OF WAR
Article 33
Members of the medical personnel and chaplains while retained
by the Detaining Power with a view to assisting prisoners of war,
shall not be considered as prisoners of war. They shall, however,
receive as a minimum the benefits and protection of the present
Convention, and shall also be granted all facilities necessary to
provide for the medical care of, and religious ministration to
prisoners of war.
They shall continue to exercise their medical and spiritual
functions for the benefit of prisoners of war, preferably those
belonging to the armed forces upon which they depend, within the
scope of the military laws and regulations of the Detaining Power
and under the control of its competent services, in accordance
with their professional etiquette. They shall also benefit by the
following facilities in the exercise of their medical or spiritual
functions:
(a) They shall be authorized to visit periodically prisoners
of war situated in working detachments or in hospitals outside the
camp. For this purpose, the Detaining Power shall place at their
disposal the necessary means of transport.
(b) The senior medical officer in each camp shall be
responsible to the camp military authorities for everything
connected with the activities of retained medical personnel. For
this purpose, Parties to the conflict shall agree at the outbreak
of hostilities on the subject of the corresponding ranks of the
medical personnel, including that of societies mentioned in
Article 26 of the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the
Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field of
August 12, 1949. This senior medical officer, as well as
chaplains, shall have the right to deal with the competent
authorities of the camp on all questions relating to their duties.
Such authorities shall afford them all necessary facilities for
correspondence relating to these questions.
(c) Although they shall be subject to the internal discipline
of the camp in which they are retained, such personnel may not be
compelled to carry out any work other than that concerned with
their medical or religious duties.
During hostilities, the Parties to the conflict shall agree
concerning the possible relief of retained personnel and shall
settle the procedure to be followed.
None of the preceding provisions shall relieve the Detaining
Power of its obligations with regard to prisoners of war from the
medical or spiritual point of view.
Chapter V. RELIGIOUS, INTELLECTUAL AND
PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES
Article 34
Prisoners of war shall enjoy complete latitude in the exercise
of their religious duties, including attendance at the service of
their faith, on condition that they comply with the disciplinary
routine prescribed by the military authorities.
Adequate premises shall be provided where religious services
may be held.
Article 35
Chaplains who fall into the hands of the enemy Power and who
remain or are retained with a view to assisting prisoners of war,
shall be allowed to minister to them and to exercise freely their
ministry amongst prisoners of war of the same religion, in
accordance with their religious conscience. They shall be
allocated among the various camps and labour detachments
containing prisoners of war belonging to the same forces, speaking
the same language or practising the same religion. They shall
enjoy the necessary facilities, including the means of transport
provided for in Article 33, for visiting the prisoners of war
outside their camp. They shall be free to correspond, subject to
censorship, on matters concerning their religious duties with the
ecclesiastical authorities in the country of detention and with
international religious organizations. Letters and cards which
they may send for this purpose shall be in addition to the quota
provided for in Article 71.
Article 36
Prisoners of war who are ministers of religion, without having
officiated as chaplains to their own forces, shall be at liberty,
whatever their denomination, to minister freely to the members of
their community. For this purpose, they shall receive the same
treatment as the chaplains retained by the Detaining Power. They
shall not be obliged to do any other work.
Article 37
When prisoners of war have not the assistance of a retained
chaplain or of a prisoner of war minister of their faith, a
minister belonging to the prisoners' or a similar denomination, or
in his absence a qualified layman, if such a course is feasible
from a confessional point of view, shall be appointed, at the
request of the prisoners concerned, to fill this office. This
appointment, subject to the approval of the Detaining Power, shall
take place with the agreement of the community of prisoners
concerned and, wherever necessary, with the approval of the local
religious authorities of the same faith. The person thus appointed
shall comply with all regulations established by the Detaining
Power in the interests of discipline and military security.
Article 38
While respecting the individual preferences of every prisoner,
the Detaining Power shall encourage the practice of intellectual,
educational, and recreational pursuits, sports and games amongst
prisoners, and shall take the measures necessary to ensure the
exercise thereof by providing them with adequate premises and
necessary equipment.
Prisoners shall have opportunities for taking physical
exercise, including sports and games, and for being out of doors.
Sufficient open spaces shall be provided for this purpose in all
camps.
Chapter VI. DISCIPLINE
Article 39
Every prisoner of war camp shall be put under the immediate
authority of a responsible commissioned officer belonging to the
regular armed forces of the Detaining Power. Such officer shall
have in his possession a copy of the present Convention; he shall
ensure that its provisions are known to the camp staff and the
guard and shall be responsible, under the direction of his
government, for its application.
Prisoners of war, with the exception of officers, must salute
and show to all officers of the Detaining Power the external marks
of respect provided for by the regulations applying in their own
forces.
Officer prisoners of war are bound to salute only officers of
a higher rank of the Detaining Power; they must, however, salute
the camp commander regardless of his rank.
Article 40
The wearing of badges of rank and nationality, as well as of
decorations, shall be permitted.
Article 41
In every camp the text of the present Convention and its
Annexes and the contents of any special agreement provided for in
Article 6, shall be posted, in the prisoners' own language, in
places where all may read them. Copies shall be supplied, on
request, to the prisoners who cannot have access to the copy which
has been posted.
Regulations, orders, notices and publications of every kind
relating to the conduct of prisoners of war shall be issued to
them in a language which they understand. Such regulations, orders
and publications shall be posted in the manner described above and
copies shall be handed to the prisoners' representative. Every
order and command addressed to prisoners of war individually must
likewise be given in a language which they understand.
Article 42
The use of weapons against prisoners of war, especially
against those who are escaping or attempting to escape, shall
constitute an extreme measure, which shall always be preceded by
warnings appropriate to the circumstances.
Chapter VII. RANK OF PRISONERS OF WAR
Article 43
Upon the outbreak of hostilities, the Parties to the conflict
shall communicate to one another the titles and ranks of all the
persons mentioned in Article 4 of the present Convention, in order
to ensure equality of treatment between prisoners of equivalent
rank. Titles and ranks which are subsequently created shall form
the subject of similar communications.
The Detaining Power shall recognize promotions in rank which
have been accorded to prisoners of war and which have been duly
notified by the Power on which these prisoners depend.
Article 44
Officers and prisoners of equivalent status shall be treated
with the regard due to their rank and age.
In order to ensure service in officers' camps, other ranks of
the same armed forces who, as far as possible, speak the same
language, shall be assigned in sufficient numbers, account being
taken of the rank of officers and prisoners of equivalent status.
Such orderlies shall not be required to perform any other work.
Supervision of the mess by the officers themselves shall be
facilitated in every way.
Article 45
Prisoners of war other than officers and prisoners of
equivalent status shall be treated with the regard due to their
rank and age.
Supervision of the mess by the prisoners themselves shall be
facilitated in every way.
Chapter VIII. TRANSFER OF PRISONERS OF WAR AFTER THEIR
ARRIVAL IN CAMP
Article 46
The Detaining Power, when deciding upon the transfer of
prisoners of war, shall take into account the interests of the
prisoners themselves, more especially so as not to increase the
difficulty of their repatriation.
The transfer of prisoners of war shall always be effected
humanely and in conditions not less favourable than those under
which the forces of the Detaining Power are transferred. Account
shall always be taken of the climatic conditions to which the
prisoners of war are accustomed and the conditions of transfer
shall in no case be prejudicial to their health.
The Detaining Power shall supply prisoners of war during
transfer with sufficient food and drinking water to keep them in
good health, likewise with the necessary clothing, shelter and
medical attention. The Detaining Power shall take adequate
precautions especially in case of transport by sea or by air, to
ensure their safety during transfer, and shall draw up a complete
list of all transferred prisoners before their departure.
Article 47
Sick or wounded prisoners of war shall not be transferred as
long as their recovery may be endangered by the journey, unless
their safety imperatively demands it.
If the combat zone draws closer to a camp, the prisoners of
war in the said camp shall not be transferred unless their
transfer can be carried out in adequate conditions of safety, or
unless they are exposed to greater risks by remaining on the spot
than by being transferred.
Article 48
In the event of transfer, prisoners of war shall be officially
advised of their departure and of their new postal address. Such
notifications shall be given in time for them to pack their
luggage and inform their next of kin.
They shall be allowed to take with them their personal
effects, and the correspondence and parcels which have arrived for
them. The weight of such baggage may be limited, if the conditions
of transfer so require, to what each prisoner can reasonably
carry, which shall in no case be more than twenty-five kilograms
per head.
Mail and parcels addressed to their former camp shall be
forwarded to them without delay. The camp commander shall take, in
agreement with the prisoners' representative, any measures needed
to ensure the transport of the prisoners' community property and
of the luggage they are unable to take with them in consequence of
restrictions imposed by virtue of the second paragraph of this
Article.
The costs of transfers shall be borne by the Detaining Power.
Section III
LABOUR OF PRISONERS OF WAR
Article 49
The Detaining Power may utilize the labour of prisoners of war
who are physically fit, taking into account their age, sex, rank
and physical aptitude, and with a view particularly to maintaining
them in a good state of physical and mental health.
Non-commissioned officers who are prisoners of war shall only
be required to do supervisory work. Those not so required may ask
for other suitable work which shall, so far as possible, be found
for them.
If officers or persons of equivalent status ask for suitable
work, it shall be found for them, so far as possible, but they may
in no circumstances be compelled to work.
Article 50
Besides work connected with camp administration, installation
or maintenance, prisoners of war may be compelled to do only such
work as is included in the following classes:
(a) agriculture;
(b) industries connected with the production or the extraction
of raw materials, and manufacturing industries, with the exception
of metallurgical, machinery and chemical industries; public works
and building operations which have no military character or
purpose;
(c) transport and handling of stores which are not military in
character or purpose;
(d) commercial business, and arts and crafts;
(e) domestic service;
(f) public utility services having no military character or
purpose.
Should the above provisions be infringed, prisoners of war
shall be allowed to exercise their right of complaint, in
conformity with Article 78.
Article 51
Prisoners of war must be granted suitable working conditions,
especially as regards accommodation, food, clothing and equipment;
such conditions shall not be inferior to those enjoyed by
nationals of the Detaining Power employed in similar work; account
shall also be taken of climatic conditions.
The Detaining Power, in utilizing the labour of prisoners of
war, shall ensure that in areas in which such prisoners are
employed, the national legislation concerning the protection of
labour, and, more particularly, the regulations for the safety of
workers, are duly applied.
Prisoners of war shall receive training and be provided with
the means of protection suitable to the work they will have to do
and similar to those accorded to the nationals of the Detaining
Power. Subject to the provisions of Article 52, prisoners may be
submitted to the normal risks run by these civilian workers.
Conditions of labour shall in no case be rendered more arduous
by disciplinary measures.
Article 52
Unless he be a volunteer, no prisoner of war may be employed
on labour which is of an unhealthy or dangerous nature.
No prisoner of war shall be assigned to labour which would be
looked upon as humiliating for a member of the Detaining Power's
own forces.
The removal of mines or similar devices shall be considered as
dangerous labour.
Article 53
The duration of the daily labour of prisoners of war,
including the time of the journey to and fro, shall not be
excessive, and must in no case exceed that permitted for civilian
workers in the district, who are nationals of the Detaining Power
and employed on the same work.
Prisoners of war must be allowed, in the middle of the day's
work, a rest of not less than one hour. This rest will be the same
as that to which workers of the Detaining Power are entitled, if
the latter is of longer duration. They shall be allowed in
addition a rest of twenty-four consecutive hours every week,
preferably on Sunday or the day of rest in their country of
origin. Furthermore, every prisoner who has worked for one year
shall be granted a rest of eight consecutive days, during which
his working pay shall be paid him.
If methods of labour such as piece work are employed, the
length of the working period shall not be rendered excessive
thereby.
Article 54
The working pay due to prisoners of war shall be fixed in
accordance with the provisions of Article 62 of the present
Convention.
Prisoners of war who sustain accidents in connection with
work, or who contract a disease in the course, or in consequence
of their work, shall receive all the care their condition may
require. The Detaining Power shall furthermore deliver to such
prisoners of war a medical certificate enabling them to submit
their claims to the Power on which they depend, and shall send a
duplicate to the Central Prisoners of War Agency provided for in
Article 123.
Article 55
The fitness of prisoners of war for work shall be periodically
verified by medical examinations at least once a month. The
examinations shall have particular regard to the nature of the
work which prisoners of war are required to do.
If any prisoner of war considers himself incapable of working,
he shall be permitted to appear before the medical authorities of
his camp. Physicians or surgeons may recommend that the prisoners
who are, in their opinion, unfit for work, be exempted therefrom.
Article 56
The organization and administration of labour detachments
shall be similar to those of prisoner of war camps.
Every labour detachment shall remain under the control of and
administratively part of a prisoner of war camp. The military
authorities and the commander of the said camp shall be
responsible, under the direction of their government, for the
observance of the provisions of the present Convention in labour
detachments.
The camp commander shall keep an up-to-date record of the
labour detachments dependent on his camp, and shall communicate it
to the delegates of the Protecting Power, of the International
Committee of the Red Cross, or of other agencies giving relief to
prisoners of war, who may visit the camp.
Article 57
The treatment of prisoners of war who work for private
persons, even if the latter are responsible for guarding and
protecting them, shall not be inferior to that which is provided
for by the present Convention. The Detaining Power, the military
authorities and the commander of the camp to which such prisoners
belong shall be entirely responsible for the maintenance, care,
treatment, and payment of the working pay of such prisoners of
war.
Such prisoners of war shall have the right to remain in
communication with the prisoners' representatives in the camps on
which they depend.
Section IV
FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF PRISONERS OF WAR
Article 58
Upon the outbreak of hostilities, and pending an arrangement
on this matter with the Protecting Power, the Detaining Power may
determine the maximum amount of money in cash or in any similar
form, that prisoners may have in their possession. Any amount in
excess, which was properly in their possession and which has been
taken or withheld from them, shall be placed to their account,
together with any monies deposited by them, and shall not be
converted into any other currency without their consent.
If prisoners of war are permitted to purchase services or
commodities outside the camp against payment in cash, such
payments shall be made by the prisoner himself or by the camp
administration who will charge them to the accounts of the
prisoners concerned. The Detaining Power will establish the
necessary rules in this respect.
Article 59
Cash which was taken from prisoners of war, in accordance with
Article 18, at the time of their capture, and which is in the
currency of the Detaining Power, shall be placed to their separate
accounts, in accordance with the provisions of Article 64 of the
present Section.
The amounts, in the currency of the Detaining Power, due to
the conversion of sums in other currencies that are taken from the
prisoners of war at the same time, shall also be credited to their
separate accounts.
Article 60
The Detaining Power shall grant all prisoners of war a monthly
advance of pay, the amount of which shall be fixed by conversion,
into the currency of the said Power, of the following amounts:
Category I: Prisoners ranking below sergeant: eight Swiss
francs.
Category II: Sergeants and other non-commissioned officers, or
prisoners of equivalent rank: twelve Swiss francs.
Category III: Warrant officers and commissioned officers below
the rank of major or prisoners of equivalent rank: fifty Swiss
francs.
Category IV: Majors, lieutenant-colonels, colonels or
prisoners of equivalent rank: sixty Swiss francs.
Category V: General officers or prisoners of equivalent rank:
seventy-five Swiss francs.
However, the Parties to the conflict concerned may by special
agreement modify the amount of advances of pay due to prisoners of
the preceding categories.
Furthermore, if the amounts indicated in the first paragraph
above would be unduly high compared with the pay of the Detaining
Power's armed forces or would, for any reason, seriously embarrass
the Detaining Power, then, pending the conclusion of a special
agreement with the Power on which the prisoners depend to vary the
amounts indicated above, the Detaining Power:
(a) shall continue to credit the accounts of the prisoners
with the amounts indicated in the first paragraph above;
(b) may temporarily limit the amount made available from these
advances of pay to prisoners of war for their own use, to sums
which are reasonable, but which, for Category I, shall never be
inferior to the amount that the Detaining Power gives to the
members of its own armed forces.
The reasons for any limitations will be given without delay to
the Protecting Power.
Article 61
The Detaining Power shall accept for distribution as
supplementary pay to prisoners of war sums which the Power on
which the prisoners depend may forward to them, on condition that
the sums to be paid shall be the same for each prisoner of the
same category, shall be payable to all prisoners of that category
depending on that Power, and shall be placed in their separate
accounts, at the earliest opportunity, in accordance with the
provisions of Article 64. Such supplementary pay shall not relieve
the Detaining Power of any obligation under this Convention.
Article 62
Prisoners of war shall be paid a fair working rate of pay by
the detaining authorities direct. The rate shall be fixed by the
said authorities, but shall at no time be less than one-fourth of
one Swiss franc for a full working day. The Detaining Power shall
inform prisoners of war, as well as the Power on which they
depend, through the intermediary of the Protecting Power, of the
rate of daily working pay that it has fixed.
Working pay shall likewise be paid by the detaining
authorities to prisoners of war permanently detailed to duties or
to a skilled or semi-skilled occupation in connection with the
administration, installation or maintenance of camps, and to the
prisoners who are required to carry out spiritual or medical
duties on behalf of their comrades.
The working pay of the prisoners' representative, of his
advisers, if any, and of his assistants, shall be paid out of the
fund maintained by canteen profits. The scale of this working pay
shall be fixed by the prisoners' representative and approved by
the camp commander. If there is no such fund, the detaining
authorities shall pay these prisoners a fair working rate of pay.
Article 63
Prisoners of war shall be permitted to receive remittances of
money addressed to them individually or collectively.
Every prisoner of war shall have at his disposal the credit
balance of his account as provided for in the following Article,
within the limits fixed by the Detaining Power, which shall make
such payments as are requested. Subject to financial or monetary
restrictions which the Detaining Power regards as essential,
prisoners of war may also have payments made abroad. In this case
payments addressed by prisoners of war to dependents shall be
given priority.
In any event, and subject to the consent of the Power on which
they depend, prisoners may have payments made in their own
country, as follows: the Detaining Power shall send to the
aforesaid Power through the Protecting Power, a notification
giving all the necessary particulars concerning the prisoners of
war, the beneficiaries of the payments, and the amount of the sums
to be paid, expressed in the Detaining Power's currency. The said
notification shall be signed by the prisoners and countersigned by
the camp commander. The Detaining Power shall debit the prisoners'
account by a corresponding amount; the sums thus debited shall be
placed by it to the credit of the Power on which the prisoners
depend.
To apply the foregoing provisions, the Detaining Power may
usefully consult the Model Regulations in Annex V of the present
Convention.
Article 64
The Detaining Power shall hold an account for each prisoner of
war, showing at least the following:
1. The amounts due to the prisoner or received by him as
advances of pay, as working pay or derived from any other source;
the sums in the currency of the Detaining Power which were taken
from him; the sums taken from him and converted at his request
into the currency of the said Power.
2. The payments made to the prisoner in cash, or in any other
similar form; the payments made on his behalf and at his request;
the sums transferred under Article 63, third paragraph.
Article 65
Every item entered in the account of a prisoner of war shall
be countersigned or initialled by him, or by the prisoners'
representative acting on his behalf.
Prisoners of war shall at all times be afforded reasonable
facilities for consulting and obtaining copies of their accounts,
which may likewise be inspected by the representatives of the
Protecting Powers at the time of visits to the camp.
When prisoners of war are transferred from one camp to
another, their personal accounts will follow them. In case of
transfer from one Detaining Power to another, the monies which are
their property and are not in the currency of the Detaining Power
will follow them. They shall be given certificates for any other
monies standing to the credit of their accounts.
The Parties to the conflict concerned may agree to notify to
each other at specific intervals through the Protecting Power, the
amount of the accounts of the prisoners of war.
Article 66
On the termination of captivity, through the release of a
prisoner of war or his repatriation, the Detaining Power shall
give him a statement, signed by an authorized officer of that
Power, showing the credit balance then due to him. The Detaining
Power shall also send through the Protecting Power to the
government upon which the prisoner of war depends, lists giving
all appropriate particulars of all prisoners of war whose
captivity has been terminated by repatriation, release, escape,
death or any other means, and showing the amount of their credit
balances. Such lists shall be certified on each sheet by an
authorized representative of the Detaining Power.
Any of the above provisions of this Article may be varied by
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