Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned the airstrikes carried out by US forces against what were described as “drug-smuggling boats” in international waters,
He stressed that these operations violate international law and set a dangerous precedent in the use of force outside the scope of justice.
Turk said in an official statement issued from Geneva that “targeting civilian or semi-civilian boats on the pretext of their involvement in drug trafficking
“Under no circumstances is it justifiable to carry out lethal military strikes without a judicial investigation or international legal authorization.”
He added that such attacks endanger the lives of civilians and threaten the principle of state sovereignty over its territorial waters.
The UN commissioner pointed out, according to the BBC, that international law “only permits the use of lethal force in cases of extreme necessity.”
He called on Washington to provide a transparent report on the nature of the targets that were bombed, the number of potential victims, and any evidence proving its actual involvement in illegal activities.
For its part, the US Department of Defense defended the operation, saying it targeted “smuggling networks that finance terrorism in the region.”
She confirmed that the raids were carried out in areas outside the territorial waters of any country.
But international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, described the US justifications as “unconvincing” and called for an independent international investigation.
This controversy comes at a time of increasing international criticism against US military operations outside the framework of the United Nations.
Amid fears that it is turning into a policy of “preemptive strikes” that exceeds legal and humanitarian boundaries.
