Human rights situation in the OPT/Executions – CHR Special Rapporteurs’s interim report (excerpts)

Interim report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on extrajudicial, summary or

arbitrary executions

    Note by the Secretary-General

  The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the members of the General Assembly the interim report on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions submitted by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights, Asma Jahangir, in accordance with paragraph 22 of General Assembly resolution 57/214.

*  A/59/150.

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 III.  Activities 

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 C.   Violations of the right to life during armed conflict contrary to international humanitarian law, or as a consequence of it

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36.   The Special Rapporteur is also particularly disturbed at reports received in the last year (but mostly in the context of post-11 September counter-terrorism measures) from several countries where aerial firing or bombardment has been used to kill civilians suspected of being terrorists, thereby also causing the loss of many other civilian lives. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur has expressed concern at the aerial bombing of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin on 22 March 2004 in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which resulted in the deaths of seven other civilians. The Special Rapporteur reiterates that aerial bombing or targeted assassinations in areas populated by civilians resulting in deaths would constitute extrajudicial or summary executions. The Special Rapporteur is distressed by reports indicating that some Governments are pursuing a policy to mete out collective punishments by way of “eliminating” communities suspected of being close to alleged terrorists.

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