Are blinding lasers illegal?

The 1995 Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV to the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons) prohibits use of blinding laser weapons as a means or method of warfare as well as their transfer, to any state or non-state actor.

Why are blinding laser weapons banned?

Laser weapons which are designed, as their sole combat function or as one of their combat functions, to cause permanent blindness or to diminish vision (i.e. to the naked eye or to the eye with corrective eyesight devices) are prohibited.

Are laser weapons legal?

For the foregoing reasons, it is concluded that the use of lasers as antipersonnel weapons would not cause unnecessary suffering nor otherwise constitute a violation of the international legal obligations of the United States. Accordingly, the use of a laser as an antipersonnel weapon is lawful.

Are lasers against the Geneva Convention?

For one, the Geneva Conventions forbid the military to use lasers to hurt people’s eyes. “You can’t make weapon systems that are designed to damage eyes. All this leaves enough legal room to use lasers against people — if military leaders can be more certain about the effects that the weapons would have.

When did the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons come into force?

The Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons, Protocol IV of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, was issued by the United Nations on 13 October 1995. It came into force on 30 July 1998. As of the end of April 2018, the protocol had been agreed to by 108 states.

Are there nonlethal laser drones the new stun guns?

Are nonlethal laser drones the new stun guns? Stun guns work by discharging a large voltage of electricity into a person in close proximity, Laser weapons, meanwhile, need some distance between the laser and the human target in order to not violate treaties on blinding weapons. (Matthias Zepper via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5))

Why was the ban on blinding lasers important?

ICRC welcomed the ban on blinding lasers as “a significant breakthrough in international humanitarian law,” adding: The prohibition, in advance, of the use of an abhorrent new weapon the production and proliferation of which appeared imminent is an historic step for humanity.

Can a laser attack on a telescope cause permanent blindness?

The Protocol does not prohibit attacks against binoculars, periscopes, telescopes, and other optical equipment because it was unknown whether laser attacks on such devices could cause permanent blindness. Article 3 allows for attacks on electronic optical equipment, because damaging it would not cause human injury.