UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions Calls US Drone Strike on Iranian General Qassem Soleimani as 'Targeted Killing' and Violation of Human Rights
The head of Iran's elite Quds Force, General Qassem Soleimani, has been killed alongside six others following a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport on Thursday. Besides Soleimani, Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the attack.
Bogota, January 3: Agnes Callamard, Director, Global Freedom of Expression in Columbia University and UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions called the US action on Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards corps as "targeted killings" and termed the US drone strike to be most "likely unlawful" and violation of international human rights law. 'US Strike' Killed Top Iran, Iraq Commanders at Baghdad Airport: Hashed Military Force.
"Outside the context of active hostilities, the use of drones or other means for targeted killing is almost never likely to be legal," Agnes Callamard said in her tweet. World War 3 Trends on Twitter As Fear Looms After US Airstrike Kills Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, Here’s How Netizens Reacted.
In a long Twitter thread, Agnes Callamard said that, "To be justified under international human rights law, intentionally lethal or potentially lethal force can only be used where strictly necessary to protect against an imminent threat to life."
"In other words, whoever targeted these two men would need to demonstrate that the persons targeted constitute(d) an imminent threat to others. An individual’s past involvement in “terrorist” attacks is not sufficient to make his targeting for killing lawful," said the Human Rights Activist Twitter account.
Read the Twitter Thread Below
The head of Iran's elite Quds Force, General Qassem Soleimani, has been killed alongside six others following a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport on Thursday, reported Al Jazeera. Besides Soleimani, Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the attack, reported Iraqi officials and state television.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 03, 2020 06:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).