Legal Framework

Geneva Convention II — Article 18

Requires parties to promptly search for and collect the shipwrecked, wounded, and sick after naval engagements, protect them from pillage, ensure their care, and properly handle the dead.

Source
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gcii-1949
Article
Article 18

Related incidents

1 incident

Updated March 25, 2026 Foreign Policy & War
War Crime / Crime Against Humanity Ongoing Reported record

Sinking of IRIS Dena: USS Charlotte Torpedoes Iranian Frigate Off Sri Lanka

A US submarine torpedoed an Iranian frigate returning from a peaceful international naval event, killing 87 sailors. The failure to rescue shipwrecked sailors violates the Second Geneva Convention's …

  • The USS Charlotte torpedoed the IRIS Dena approximately 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka on March 4, 2026. The Iranian frigate was returning …
  • Eighty-seven sailors were killed. The Sri Lanka Navy rescued 32 survivors.
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