The Legality of Targeted Killings in View of Direct Participation in Hostilities

In: Beiträge zum Internationalen und Europäischen Strafrecht / Studies in International and European Criminal Law and Procedure, 22

Abstract

In today's asymmetric armed conflicts, military agents carry out targeted killings against civilians that »take a direct part in the hostilities«. This book defines such participation for the purposes of international humanitarian, criminal and human rights law. Additionally, the general framework of the law of war is revisited, in particular under the currently frequent scenario of non-international armed conflicts. Treaty requirements for the recognition of non-state actors (degree of collectivity) are addressed and the legal ethics of a strict status-based approach in international law (combatants/civilians) is opined on. The study at hand analyzes the repertory of applicable legal texts and their authentic versions in the different official languages. It discloses existing incoherencies and gives an overview of their implementation into the national legislation of several countries. The research closes with a fictional case study. Graphs and figures are used for illustration purposes throughout the document. In today's asymmetric armed conflicts, military agents carry out targeted killings against civilians that »take a direct part in the hostilities«. This book defines such participation for the purposes of international humanitarian, criminal and human rights law. Additionally, the general framework of the law of war is revisited, in particular under the currently frequent scenario of non-international armed conflicts. Treaty requirements for the recognition of non-state actors (degree of collectivity) are addressed and the legal ethics of a strict status-based approach in international law (combatants/civilians) is opined on. The study at hand analyzes the repertory of applicable legal texts and their authentic versions in the different official languages. It discloses existing incoherencies and gives an overview of their implementation into the national legislation of several countries. The research closes with a fictional case study. Graphs and figures are used for illustration purposes throughout the document. In asymmetric armed conflicts military agents carry out targeted killings against civilians taking »a direct part in the hostilities«. This book defines such participation and revisits the applicable legal framework. Treaty requirements for the recognition of non-state actors are addressed and the legal ethics of a strict status-based approach (combatants/civilians) is opined on. The research uses numerous graphs for illustration purposes and closes with a fictional case study. Josef Alkatout, deutsch-palästinensischen Ursprungs, wuchs in den USA sowie in Süddeutschland auf. Nach dem Studium der Rechtswissenschaft und der internationalen Beziehungen in der Schweiz und in Finnland, promovierte er an der Universität Göttingen im internationalen Strafrecht zum Dr. jur. Er war über mehrere Jahre als Jurist in der Regulierungsbranche in London und Genf sowie als Dozent für den Weltverband der Gesellschaften für die Vereinten Nationen beschäftigt. Momentan vertritt er die tamilische Exilregierung in New York in Belangen des internationalen Strafrechts und ist darüber hinaus für eine Genfer Rechtsanwaltskanzlei tätig. Seine Abhandlung zur Zulässigkeit der Tötung Osama bin Ladens wurde in sechs Sprachen veröffentlicht. Josef Alkatout ist auch Autor von zwei belletristischen Romanen. Josef Alkatout is of Palestinian and German origin and grew up in the US and in Europe. He earned his degrees in law and international relations in Switzerland and Finland, and a PhD in international criminal law in Germany. During several years, Alkatout worked as a regulation lawyer in London and Geneva and lectured for the World Federation of United Nations Associations. Currently, he is the legal representative for the Tamil government in exile in New York and works in the field of criminal law in a firm in Geneva. His treatise on the legality of the Osama bin Laden killing was issued in six languages. Josef Alkatout has also published two novels.