Pillage, the Katanga judgment, gravity and the value of ‘ordinary’ household items

The Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court emphatically pointed out that kitchen items, furniture, food, iron sheets, cattle and other goods can be essential for the daily life of survivors and are thus of great value in the specific context of the case. This statement is important given that pillage often goes hand in hand with other abuses, yet tends to be relegated to the background, considered merely to give context to other war crimes.