Iran Appeals for OHCHR’s Firm Response to Fakhrizadeh Killing
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations office in Geneva called on the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to show decisive reaction to the assassination of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, which he slammed as a clear violation of human rights.
Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh has sent a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, stressing the need for decisive reaction to the assassination of the eminent Iranian scientist.
Pointing to clear signs of the Israeli regime’s involvement in the attack that has “brazenly violated the international law, human rights, and all moral values”, the ambassador warned against the dire consequences of warmongering state-sponsored terrorism for the rule of law and international peace and security.
Baghaei Hamaneh also reminded the OHCHR of its responsibility to take action against state-sponsored terrorism and violation of the right to life, urging Bachelet to condemn the assassination attack.
Fakhrizadeh, a senior nuclear and defense scientist, was assassinated in a small city east of Tehran on November 27.
The UN Special Rapporteur has said that an extraterritorial targeted killing is a violation of international human rights law.
In a tweet about the assassination of the Iranian scientist, Agnes Callamard said, "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."
"International human rights obligations apply to the conduct of a State outside its territory as confirmed by the International Court of Justice, the Human Rights Committee, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights, States have engaged in acts of aggression resulting in deprivation of life violate ipso facto their treaty obligations," she said.
