§1203 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

It makes it a crime to seize or hold someone and threaten to kill, hurt, or keep them in order to force another person or a government to do or not do something. Trying or planning to do this is also a crime. Punishment can be any number of years in prison or life, and if someone dies, punishment can be the death penalty or life in prison. If the act happened outside the United States, it is not a crime here unless the offender or the person taken is a U.S. national, the offender is found in the United States, or the target is the U.S. Government. If it happened inside the United States, it is not a crime here only when every alleged offender and every person taken are U.S. nationals and every alleged offender is found in the United States, unless the target is the U.S. Government. "National of the United States" uses the meaning in the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Title 18, §1203

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, whoever, whether inside or outside the United States, seizes or detains and threatens to kill, to injure, or to continue to detain another person in order to compel a third person or a governmental organization to do or abstain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for the release of the person detained, or attempts or conspires to do so, shall be punished by imprisonment for any term of years or for life and, if the death of any person results, shall be punished by death or life imprisonment.

(b)(1)It is not an offense under this section if the conduct required for the offense occurred outside the United States unless—

(A)the offender or the person seized or detained is a national of the United States;

(B)the offender is found in the United States; or

(C)the governmental organization sought to be compelled is the Government of the United States.

(2)It is not an offense under this section if the conduct required for the offense occurred inside the United States, each alleged offender and each person seized or detained are nationals of the United States, and each alleged offender is found in the United States, unless the governmental organization sought to be compelled is the Government of the United States.

(c)As used in this section, the term “national of the United States” has the meaning given such term in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–132 inserted “or conspires” after “attempts”. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 inserted before period at end “and, if the death of any person results, shall be punished by death or life imprisonment”. 1988—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–690 substituted “(c) As” for “(C) As”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 2003, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2186, provided that: “This part [part A (§§ 2001–2003) of chapter XX of title II of Pub. L. 98–473, enacting this section and provisions set out as a note under section 1201 of this title] and the

Amendments

made by this part shall take effect on the later of— “(1) the date of the enactment of this joint resolution [Oct. 12, 1984]; or “(2) the date the International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages has come into force and the United States has become a party to that convention [the convention entered into force June 6, 1983; and entered into force for the United States Jan. 6, 1985].”

§1203 Hostage Taking

Summary

Title 18, §1203

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Amendments

Citations & Metadata