The killing of Qasem Soleimani was “most likely unlawful,” UN Rapporteur on extra-judicial executions Agnès Callamard tweeted.
She said the targeted killings “violate international human rights law,” adding that “outside the context of active hostilities, the use of drones or other means for targeted killing is almost never likely to be legal.”
She further argued that “drone killing of anyone other than the target (family members or others in the vicinity, for example) would be an arbitrary deprivation of life under human rights law and could result in State responsibility and individual criminal liability.”
At least six people were killed alongside Soleimani in the drone strike. The UN Rapporteur said the killing of other individuals alongside Soleimani was “absolutely” unlawful.
#Pentagon statement on targeted killing of #suleimani: 1. It mentions that it aimed at “deterring future Iranian attack plans”. This however is very vague. Future is not the same as imminent which is the time based test required under international law. (1)
— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) January 3, 2020
Callamard wrote that, while under customary international law states may take military action in case of an imminent attack, the Pentagon’s statement mentions that it aimed at “deterring future Iranian attack plans.”
“Future is not the same as imminent which is the time based test required under international law.” She added that “the test for so-called anticipatory self-defence is very narrow.”
Trump: He should have been taken out many years ago!
President Trump tweeted from Mar-a-Lago this morning about the death of Qasem Soleimani, claiming that the general “was plotting to kill many more” Americans and he “should have been taken out many years ago.”
Trump added that Iranians “are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe.”
General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more…but got caught! He was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2020
The White House has issued a lunch lid until 1:45 p.m. ET, meaning we won't see the President before that.
Funeral
General Qasem Soleimani's body will arrive in Tehran on Saturday, Iran state media reports.
Iranian state-run IRNA news agency also reports that General Soleimani will have a funeral procession in the Shiite holy cities of Karabala and Najaf before his body heads back to Tehran.
