Use of armed drones for targeted killings: report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, A/HRC/44/38

Reporting cited here

1. documented

   The U.S. military strike Donald Trump directed at Baghdad International Airport killed Qasem Soleimani on January 3, 2020.

   Strike outcome and mandate-holder report chronology

   The Trump-directed Baghdad strike kills Qasem Soleimani · Soleimani was killed in the January 3, 2020 Baghdad strike

2. reported

   The U.N. Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings concluded that the United States had not shown the required imminent threat, making the strike an arbitrary killing under human-rights law and a violation of Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter.

   Paragraphs 60–79 and conclusions concerning the Soleimani strike

   Trump ordered the Baghdad strike that killed Soleimani; a UN expert found the stated legal basis wanting · Strike completed; UN expert analysis remains non-adjudicative.

3. reported

   The U.N. Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings concluded that the United States had not shown a sufficiently imminent threat and characterized the Soleimani strike as an arbitrary killing and an Article 2(4) violation; independent Just Security analysis separately questioned imminence, Iraqi sovereignty, and compliance with human-rights law.

   A/HRC/44/38 conclusions and Just Security legal-framework sections

   UN mandate-holder and independent legal analysis dispute the Soleimani strike's legal basis · Non-adjudicative legal analysis