Genocide is defined as the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic, national, or religious group. This definition includes acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a particular group. Acts that can be considered genocide include:
- Killing members of the group.
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group.
- Deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to bring about the group's physical destruction.
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.
- Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
The term is legally codified in international law, particularly in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Genocide is viewed as a grave crime against humanity, and those responsible can be prosecuted in international tribunals.