The Old Bridge of Mostar and Increasing Respect for Cultural Property in Armed Conflict

Although it is precious to all humanity, including future generations, cultural property is targeted wilfully during armed conflict. In the litany of other war crimes the wilful destruction of cultural property is pushed from centre stage. The deliberate destruction of the Old Bridge of Mostar is emblematic of tragedies wrought on priceless cultural objects internationally. Drawing on the relevant rules of international humanitarian law and the jurisprudence of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, this book analyses the normative implications of the deliberate targeting and destruction of the Old Bridge and also examines enforcement efforts in order to identify issues relating to international legal protection of cultural property arising from this incident.