§ The correspondence that was owed Addressed to the family, and to the Central Tracing Agency Mailbox

Card 04 of 10 · Geneva IV · Article 138

The particulars a record must carry

The particulars a record must carry — Geneva IV, Article 138. Not delivered.

The rule that requires it

Article 138 of Geneva Convention IV — Particulars required by the national information bureaux. Retrieved verbatim, 2026-08-22.

The information received by the national Bureau and transmitted by it shall be of such a character as to make it possible to identify the protected person exactly and to advise his next of kin quickly. The information in respect of each person shall include at least his surname, first names, place and date of birth, nationality, last residence and distinguishing characteristics, the first name of the father and the maiden name of the mother, the date, place and nature of the action taken with regard to the individual, the address at which correspondence may be sent to him and the name and address of the person to be informed.

Likewise, information regarding the state of health of internees who are seriously ill or seriously wounded shall be supplied regularly and if possible every week.

ICRC treaty text ↗ Open in the mailbox → Open on the board →

What the record shows instead

United States / Israel

Detainees have been held incommunicado, with families not told of the fact of detention and no effective independent access, obstructing the humanitarian functions the Convention reserves to the ICRC.

4 sources