Crimes against humanity

A crime against humanity is a crime against a group which is so heinous as to warrant punishment under international law. The term was first used during the Nuremberg trials as a charge to be used for actions such as the Holocaust which did not violate a specific treaty but which was considered so heinous as to require punishment.

The term has been criticized for being extremely vague and for being politically defined. For example, Nazi attempts to eliminate certain ethnic groups were considered crimes against humanity yet Soviet attempts to eliminate certain economic groups were not.