A prisoner of war (POW) is a description given to a combatant who has surrendered or is imprisoned or captured by an enemy power during wartime.
According to the Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention, it includes not only military personnel, but also guerrilla fighters and certain civilians in armed opposition to the enemy combatants. It does not include unlawful combatants, such as a franc-tireur, terrorist or spies, who are not part of the regular armed forces of a nation and who also do not conduct operations according to the laws and customs of war. It also does not include unarmed non-combatant civilians who are captured in time of war, who are protected by the Fourth Geneva Convention rather than the Third Geneva Convention.
The Geneva Conventions of 1949 provides a framework of protective rights of POWs. The prisoner is protected from the moment of capture until he is released or repatriated. One of the main provisions of the convention makes it illegal to torture prisoners, and states that a prisoner can only be required to give his name, date of birth, rank and serial number (if applicable).
See also: combatant laws of war war crime