Interpreters I Conflict Zones: An International Lega Assessment

his paper analyses the role of interpreters operating in conflict scenarios, with a special emphasis placed on professional and legal issues relating to their involvement in military operations. Indeed, no specific attention has been devoted by legal scholars to such individuals and only a few attempts have been made to raise awareness on such issues. However, this paper aims at demonstrating how such interpreters can be fully accommodated within relevant existing legal provisions by examining their legal status in conflict and post-conflict situations. Furthermore, the possibility for interpreters to be summoned before international criminal courts and be obliged to give evidence on activities connected with the performance of their duties will also be discussed. This paper will finally focus on the situation in Afghanistan during the years of the conflict as a test-case for legal challenges raised for such individuals once foreign actors are withdrawn, also in order to advocate for special protection programmes to be provided by involved States in order to comply with their duties of care toward local personnel involved in such risky functions.