 You may have heard the term prisoner of war, but did you know they're actually different to other kinds of prisoners? So here's that explained. For the most part, prisoners of war are members of the military who've been captured, surrendered, or otherwise fallen into the hands of the enemy, and have specific legal protection under the Geneva Conventions. Why? To help maintain some humanity during international armed conflict, because historically prisoners of war have been subject to some of the most unnecessary brutal violence in war. The Third Geneva Convention defines a prisoner of war what they're entitled to and sets out minimum standards of care. They can't be imprisoned, but can be held in camps to stop them from going back to the fight. And when the fighting is over, they must be released and be allowed to return home. They must have medical care, enough food and water, and clean, safe living conditions. They cannot be tortured or intimidated and must be protected from acts of violence. They must not be exposed to public curiosity, like sharing images, names, and other personal details on social media, because doing so could endanger them or their families. Essentially, they must be treated humanely. So where do we commit? We collect information on prisoners of war, things like name, address, and health status, to make sure they're accounted for, and so their families know what's happened to them. The Third Geneva Convention sets out our role to visit all prisoners of war, to have access to wherever they're being held, and to revisit them as often as necessary. This is so we can check their conditions are decent and humane, have private conversations to make sure they're being treated fairly, and deliver personal messages between them and their families. This is all required under the rules of war, rules all countries have signed up to, and rules all countries must legally follow, because everyone deserves to be treated humanely and with dignity, even in war.