Die Causa Soleimani: Zur Legalität von „targeted killings“ im Völkerrecht

Abstract

With the killing of Qasem Soleimani by the USA in January 2020, the issue of targeted killings was once again brought to the attention of the press, politics, and the global community. Although targeted killings have been a common means of combating terrorism for decades, and a growing number of states is participating in the creation, updating and execution of so-called ‚hit lists’, the question of the legality of this practice remains highly controversial. This contribution first sets out the international legal framework for targeted killings to then address specific features of the international legal assessment at the intergovernmental level vis-a-vis possible third countries and at the individual level vis-a-vis the targeted person. In particular, the right of self-defence and the rights of the targeted person will be examined. Finally, the article addresses the (il-)legality of the killing of Qasem Soleimani.