The Rights of Prisoners of War in Shahnameh According to the Third Geneva Convention (1949)

One of the significant aspects of human rights in international conflicts that actually has greater executive power than other relevant provisions is the rules governing the treatment of prisoners of war. Among the international treaties, the Third Geneva Convention, adopted in 1949, is the most important and the most comprehensive document on the protection of the rights of prisoners of war. Captivity and discussion about the rights of prisoners of wars is one of the remarkable issues in Shahnameh that is seen during the wars and with various and sometimes different patterns by the poet. Since Shahnameh includes the customs and laws of war and represents Iranian civilization as well as other ethnicities of the ancient times in this area, it is one of the richest and important resources that can reveal aspects of rituals and policies of governments about the rights of prisoners in different historical periods. This study aims to evaluate different aspects of the rights of prisoners of war in Shahnameh based on the articles and provisions of the Third Geneva Convention. It is argued that Iranian kings in Shahnameh in comparison to non-Iranian kings were more committed to the human dignity and rights of prisoners of war and behaved more humanely towards them. On the other hand, respecting the rights of prisoners of war in the historical period, especially among the Sassanid Kings, is more tangible than the other two periods and it mainly covers securing the prisoners.