Amnesty International hat in einer gemeinsamen Pressekonferenz mit Human Rights Watch am Dienstagmorgen einen Bericht zu Drohnenangriffen der USA im pakistanischen Grenzgebiet zu Afghanistan (North Waziristan) vorgelegt. Der Bericht „‚Will I be next?‘ US Drones Strikes in Pakistan“ arbeitet neun von 45 Drohnenangriffe auf, die in der Zeit von Januar 2012 bis August 2013 in dieser Region stattgefunden haben.
Die Autoren des Berichts werfen den USA vor, dass bei den gegen Taliban oder Al-Qa’ida Kämpfer gerichteten Angriffen wiederholt Zivilisten ums Leben gekommen sind. Im Mittelpunkt der Kritik stehen dabei auch sog. “rescuer attacks”, bei denen nach der erfolgten Exekution der eigentlichen Anschlagsziele zu Hilfe eilende Zivilisten in einer zweiten Angriffswelle getötet wurden.
Die zusammenfassenden Ergebnisse des Berichts sind auf der Webseite http://dronespakistan.amnestyusa.org/ aufgearbeitet.
Human Rights Watch präsentierte auf der Pressekonferenz seinen Bericht „Between a Drone and Al-Qaeda.The Civilian Cost of US Targeted Killings in Yemen„. Der Bericht untersucht sechs Drohnenangriffe der USA im Jemen, bei denen Zivilisten getötet wurden.
The 97-page report examines six US targeted killings in Yemen, one from 2009 and the rest from 2012-2013. Two of the attacks killed civilians indiscriminately in clear violation of the laws of war; the others may have targeted people who were not legitimate military objectives or caused disproportionate civilian deaths.
Amnesty International und Human Rights Watch fordern den US-Kongress auf, die möglichen Verstöße gegen Menschen- und Kriegsrecht eingehend zu untersuchen:
Amnesty International is calling on:
The US authorities to:
- Publicly disclose the facts and legal basis for drone strikes carried out in Pakistan and information about any investigation into killings by US drones.
- Ensure prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into all cases where there are reasonable grounds to believe that drone strikes resulted in unlawful killings.
- Bring those responsible for unlawful drone strikes to justice in public and fair trials without recourse to the death penalty.
- Ensure that victims of unlawful drone strikes, including family members of victims of unlawful killings, have effective access to justice, compensation and other remedies.
The Pakistani authorities to:
- Provide adequate access to justice and reparations for victims of US drone strikes and attacks by Pakistan forces, and seek reparations and other remedies for drone strikes from the US authorities.
- Bring to justice, in fair trials without recourse to the death penalty, individuals responsible for unlawful killings and other human rights abuses in North Waziristan. This should include US drone strikes, attacks by the Pakistan armed forces, or groups like the Taliban and al-Qa’ida.
- Publicly disclose information on all US drone strikes that the Pakistani authorities are aware of, including casualties and all assistance provided to victims.
The international community to:
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Oppose US drone strikes and other killings that violate international law and urge the USA and Pakistan to take the measures outlined above. States should officially protest and pursue remedies under international law when lethal force is unlawfully used by the USA or other states.
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Refrain from participating in any way in US drone strikes that violate international law, including by sharing intelligence or facilities.
