An extraterritorial targeted killing: violation of international human rights

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who headed the research and innovation wing at Iran's Defense Ministry, was assassinated on Friday 27 November, on the outskirts of the capital Tehran. He was sent to hospital immediately but was martyred due to the wounds he had sustained in the terrorist assault. During the conflict, the security team protecting Iranian scientist were also injured and transferred to hospital.

Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has said the elements behind the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and the act of sabotage at the Natanz nuclear facility are the same. “In the Natanz incident, it can be said that their elements are the same as the recent incident, and it seems that the Zionist regime is involved in these cases,” Kamalvandi said.

Here is some reactions to Fakhrizadeh’s killing:
The Iranian President, Hasan Rohaní said “They are thinking of creating chaos and riots, but they must know that they will not achieve their evil goals,” “Once again, the evil hands of world arrogance (USA) with the mercenary of the usurping Zionist regime (Israel) were stained with the blood of a great son of this territory,” said Rohaní.
"Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice—with serious indications of Israeli role—shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators," said Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions, Agnes Callamard in her latest tweets released on Friday referred to the assassination of the Iranian distinguished nuclear scientist, categorizing it as an extraterritorial targeted killing, and violation of international human rights. "Murder of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran's top nuclear scientist: many questions still as to the circumstances of his killing. No State or non-State actors have yet claimed responsibility." She tweeted. “An extraterritorial targeted killing, outside an armed conflict, is a violation of international human rights law prohibiting the arbitrary deprivation of life and a violation of the UN Charter prohibiting the use of force extraterritorially in times of peace.”

“We urge restraint and the need to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region,” a UN spokesman said. “We condemn any assassination or extrajudicial killing.”

Declared in a statement a spokesman for the high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell: “On 27 November 2020 in Absard, Iran, an Iranian government official and several civilians were killed in a series of violent attacks. This is a criminal act and runs counter to the principle of respect for human rights the EU stands for.” The High Representative expresses his condolences to the family members of the individuals who were killed, while wishing a prompt recovery to any other individuals who may have been injured. “In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever for all parties to remain calm and exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid escalation which cannot be in anyone's interest.”

“Israel used all four years of Trump’s presidency to entrench its systems of occupation and apartheid. Now that Joe Biden has won the U.S. election, the assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist, likely by Israel with the go-ahead from the US administration, is a desperate attempt to use Trump’s last days in office to sabotage Biden’s chances of successful diplomacy with Iran. Fakhrizadeh was far from the first assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist. Between 2010 and 2012, four Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated—Masoud Alimohammadi, Majid Shahriari, Darioush Rezaeinejad and Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan. Though Israel never took official credit for the extrajudicial executions, reports were fairly conclusive that Israel, working with the MEK, were behind the killings.” CODEPINK, a US-based peace group stated.

"The assassination of a senior Iranian nuclear scientist appears to have been a deliberate effort to provoke a response which could be used to justify military strikes against Iran by the U.S. or other states. Iran has shown restraint by not retaliating against a series of recent incidents of sabotage. If Iran responds to this provocation, a new war could quickly inflame the Middle East on the eve of the inauguration of a new U.S. President. We call on all U.S. officials and members of Congress to vigorously oppose any further provocations and to stand against any escalation.” Ambassadors William Luers, Thomas Pickering, and Frank Wisner, and Stephen Heintz and Suzanne DiMaggio. The Iran Project responded.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani condemned the assassination in a phone call with Zarif. Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad accused Israel and “those who supported it” of being behind Fakhrizadeh’s assassination, an act he said would only fuel more tensions in the region. “The assassination of the Iranian scientist was an act of terrorism. Whether it was committed by an illegal or a “legal” organization or a state makes no difference,” Turkey’s parliamentary speaker, Mustafa Sentop, said on Twitter.

The New York Times quotes three US officials, including two intelligence officials, as saying Israel was behind the attack. But Israeli cabinet minister Tzachi Hanegbi said on Saturday that he had "no clue" who was behind the killing. The former head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Brennan, said the killing of the scientist was a "criminal" and "highly reckless" act that risks inflaming conflict in the region.

“The assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was reckless, provocative, and illegal. As a new administration takes power, it was clearly intended to undermine U.S.-Iran diplomacy. We must not allow that to happen. Diplomacy, not murder, is the best path forward.” Said Bernie Sanders in a tweet. “We call on all parties to avoid taking any action which could lead to a new escalation of the situation” which “we absolutely do not need at this moment,” a German foreign ministry spokesman said. Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza condemned the attack on Twitter, calling the killing of the scientist a “terrorist attack”.

“If Israel was behind the assassination of Fakhrizadeh — which seems highly likely though not yet proven — it demonstrates the degree to which Netanyahu feels emboldened to undermine Democratic U.S. presidents with impunity and drag the United States into war. U.S. strategic partnerships should serve to make the United States more, not less, secure. But that is where we are today with many American partnerships around the world. This will not change unless and until Washington decides to end its drive for military hegemony in the Middle East.” Said Trita Parsi, an author and analyst.

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