Targeted Killings and International Law (eBook)

With Special Regard to Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law

Roland Otto (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2011 | 2012
XVIII, 664 Seiten
Springer Berlin (Verlag)
978-3-642-24858-0 (ISBN)

Infos

Existing international law is capable to govern the 'war on terror' also in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. The standards generally applicable to targeted killings are those of human rights law. Force may be used in order to address immediate threats, preventive killings are permitted under strict preconditions but targeted killings are prohibited. In the context of armed conflicts, these standards are complemented by international humanitarian law as lex specialis. Civilians may only be targeted while directly taking part in hostilities and posing a threat to the adversary. Also in Israel and the Occupied Territory, these standards apply. Contrary to the Israeli Supreme Court's view, international humanitarian law is not complemented by human rights law, but human rights law is - to some degree - complemented by international humanitarian law. According to these standards, many killings which would be legal according to the Israeli Supreme Court violate international law.

Inhalt

Targeted Killings and International Law 3
Acknowledgements 5
Summary of Contents 7
Table of Contents 9
Introduction 19
A. The Recent Situation in Israel 19
B. The Further International Context 24
C. Defining “Targeted Killings” 26
I. Different Terms Frequently Used 27
II. Aspects of Intention 32
III. “Assassination” 37
IV. Conclusion: Targeted Killings and Preventive Killings 40
D. Moral Legitimacy and Effectiveness of Targeted Killings 40
E. The State of Research: Different Approaches 46
I. The Topic’s Perception in Legal Writing 47
II. Different Approaches 50
F. Terminology 55
I. Occupied Palestinian Territory 56
II. Terrorism 56
Part One – Human Rights 59
A. Human Rights Conventions and the Right to Life 60
I. The Scope of Protection of Human Rights 64
II. The Special Status of the Right to Life 65
B. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 66
I. The Scope of Protection of Article 6 69
II. Exceptions: Non-Arbitrary Deprivations of Life 92
2. Deprivation of Life in Self-Defence or in Defence of Another Person 96
3. Deprivation of Life in Order to Effect an Arrest or Prevent the Escape of a Person Detained 112
4. Deprivation of Life for the Purpose of Quelling a Riot 118
5. Absolute Limits and Non-Derogability of Article 6 121
6. Deprivation of Life in the Course of an Armed Conflict 124
III. Conclusion: Killings Under the International Covenant 128
C. The American Convention on Human Rights 129
I. Article 4 American Convention on Human Rights’ Scope of Protection 130
1. The Defensive Function (status negativus) 132
2. The Beneficiary Function (status positivus) 133
II. Exceptions – Non-Arbitrary Deprivation of Life 138
1. The Death Penalty 138
2. Deprivation of Life in the Course of Administrative Police Action 140
3. Non-Derogability of Article 4 144
4. Deprivation of Life in the Course of Armed Conflict 145
III. Conclusion: Killings Under the American Convention 148
D. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights 148
I. Article 4 African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ Scope of Protection 151
1. The Defensive Function (status negativus) 151
2. The Beneficiary Function (status positivus) 154
II. Exceptions – Non-Arbitrary Deprivation of Life 158
III. No Explicit Non-Derogability of Article 4 161
IV. Conclusion: Killings Under the African Charter 163
E. The European Convention on Human Rights 164
I. Article 2 European Convention on Human Rights’ Scope of Protection 166
1. The Defensive Function (status negativus) 167
II. Exceptions – Permissible Deprivation of Life 180
1. The Death Penalty 181
2. Exceptions Enumerated in Article 2 Para. 2 182
3. Non-Derogability of Article 2 and Deprivation of Life in the Course of Armed Conflict 197
III. Conclusion: Killings Under the European Convention 199
F. Other Treaties Protecting the Right to Life 201
G. General International Law Protection of the Right to Life 201
I. Customary International Law 202
II. General Principles of Law and Natural Law Foundations 209
III. Content and Exceptions of the Right to Life in General International Law 210
IV. The Right to Life as jus cogens 213
H. Conclusion: The Human Right to Life 216
Part Two – International Humanitarian Law 220
A. The Relevant Sources of Law 222
I. The Hague Law 222
II. The Geneva Law 224
1. The 1949 Geneva Conventions 225
2. The 1977 Additional Protocols 228
III. Other International Humanitarian Instruments 230
IV. Customary International Humanitarian Law 231
B. The Basic Principles Underlying International Humanitarian Law 232
I. Military Necessity 233
II. Humanity 234
III. Proportionality 234
IV. Distinction ratione personae 234
C. Combatants 236
I. Combatant Status in International Armed Conflicts 238
1. Members of the Armed Forces 239
2. Members of Militias and Volunteer Corps 244
3. “Levée en masse” 250
4. Conclusion: Combatant Status 251
II. Fighters in Non-International Armed Conflicts 251
1. Defining Criteria 253
2. Problems Concerning Distinction 255
3. Conclusion 259
III. Protection of Combatants and Fighters 260
1. Prohibition of Perfidy 260
2. Prohibition to kill Persons hors de combat 274
3. Prohibition to Carry Out Executions without Previous Judgement 277
4. Further Limits that Apply to Any Attack 277
IV. Conclusion: Targeted Killings of Combatants 279
D. Civilians 280
I. Civilian Status 280
II. Protection of Civilians 282
1. Individually Targeted Civilians 282
2. Protection of Civilians not Specifically Targeted 321
3. Prohibition to Direct Reprisals Against the Civil Population 339
III. Conclusion: Targeted Killings of Civilians 341
E. Is there a Third Category such as “Unlawful Combatants”? 341
I. Terminology and Its Historical Basis 343
II. New Notions 345
III. The Status of “Unlawful Combatants” 348
1. “Unlawful Combatants” in International Armed Conflicts 348
2. “Unlawful Combatants” in Non-International Armed Conflicts 357
IV. Conclusion: No such Third Status Exists 357
V. Consequence: No Special Status of “Terrorists” Under International Humanitarian Law 359
F. Conclusion: Targeted Killings and International Humanitarian Law 364
Part Three – No Additional Justifications or Excuses 367
A. Concepts Generally Capable of Precluding Wrongfulness 370
B. Limits to Circumstances Precluding Wrongfulness 372
I. Peremptory Norms of General International Law (Jus Cogens) 373
II. Human Rights 376
III. International Humanitarian Law 377
C. Conclusion: No Additional Justifications or Excuses 380
Part Four – The Applicability of the Relevant International Law 382
A. The Territorial and Extraterritorial Applicability of Human Rights Provisions 384
I. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 386
II. The American Convention on Human Rights 393
III. The European Convention on Human Rights 396
1. Effective Control Over Territory 397
2. “De facto Control” Over Persons 406
IV. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights 410
V. Customary International Law 413
VI. Conclusion 414
B. The Law Applicable in Times of a Public Emergency Falling Short of Being an Armed Conflict 417
I. Human Rights and Public Emergencies 417
II. International Humanitarian Law and Public Emergency 422
C. The Law Applicable in Non-International Armed Conflicts 423
I. Internal Disturbances 425
II. Non-International Armed Conflicts 426
1. Human Rights in Non-International Armed Conflicts 427
2. International Humanitarian Law in Non-International Armed Conflicts 428
3. The Relationship of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Non-International Armed Conflicts 436
4. Conclusion 439
III. The Treatment of Certain Non-International Armed Conflicts as International Armed Conflicts 440
D. The Law Applicable in International Armed Conflicts 446
I. The Intensity Necessary to Fulfil the Preconditions of an Armed Conflict 449
II. The International Character of an Armed Conflict 450
1. Horizontally Mixed Armed Conflicts 451
2. Vertically Mixed Armed Conflicts 452
3. Several Conflicts or One Situation that Must Be Regarded as a Whole? 453
III. Conclusion 455
E. Military Occupation 456
I. “Calm” Occupations 457
II. Special Exception to the Right to Life in Situations of “Calm” Occupation? 460
III. Resumption or Outbreak of Hostilities in a Territory Under Occupation 462
IV. Conclusion 467
F. International Humanitarian Law and the “War on Terror” 468
I. Is the “War on Terror” an International Armed Conflict? 471
1. Level of Violence 472
2. Parties to a Possible International Armed Conflict 475
3. Conclusion 490
II. Is the “War on Terror” a Non-International Armed Conflict? 492
1. Level of Violence 492
2. Non-International Character 495
3. Kretzmer’s “Mixed Model” 496
4. Critique Kretzmer bases his approach on the assumption that 498
III. Conclusion 500
1. No General Applicability of International Humanitarian Law to the “War on Terror” de lege lata 501
Part Five – Consequences of the Aforementioned for the Situation in Israel 506
A. The International Law Applicable 509
I. The Applicability of Human Rights Law 509
II. The Applicability of International Humanitarian Law 511
1. Historical Background 511
2. The Legal Status of the Occupied Palestinian Territories 514
3. The Legal Nature of the Conflict 526
III. Conclusion: The Law Applicable to the Situation in the Occupied Territories 533
B. The Standards Applicable to the Targeted Killings by Israeli Forces 534
I. Human Rights Standards 534
1. Targeted Killings as a Deterrent or Punishment Are Illegal 535
2. Preventive Killings Are Possible within Narrow Limitations 535
II. International Humanitarian Law 538
1. The Israeli Supreme Court’s Assessment: The Law of Armed Conflict 538
2. “Terrorists” Are neither Combatants, nor “Unlawful Combatants” but Civilians 539
3. Direct Participation by Civilians in Hostilities 541
III. The Israeli Supreme Court’s Further Preconditions for Targeted Killings 544
C. Conclusion: The Situation in Israel 546
Conclusion: Targeted Killings and International Law 549
A. Generally, Human Rights Law Applies to Targeted Killings 550
B. These Standards Are in Some Situations Amended by International Humanitarian Law 552
C. No Justifications for Targeted Killings Exist Outside the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Systems 553
D. The Most Prominent Cases Do Not Meet these Standards 554
Bibliography/ Index of Authorities 556
A. Books, Treatises and Articles 556
B. Cases 619
I. International Tribunals and Human Rights Bodies 619
II. Arbitration Awards 639
III. National Courts 639
C. International Treaties and Conventions (by Date) 643
D. Other International Sources 651
E. National Sources 658
F. Press 660
Index 664

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.12.2011
• Reihe/Serie: Beiträge zum ausländischen öffentlichen Recht und Völkerrecht
• Reihe/Serie: Beiträge zum ausländischen öffentlichen Recht und Völkerrecht
• Zusatzinfo: XVIII, 661 p.
• Verlagsort: Berlin
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► EU / Internationales Recht
• Schlagworte: Humanitarian Law • Human Rights • Israel/Palästina • targeted killings • "war on terror" • War on Terror
• ISBN-10: 3-642-24858-6 / 3642248586
• ISBN-13: 978-3-642-24858-0 / 9783642248580