Jurisprudence studies and cultural law

Jurisprudence studies and cultural law

Targeted Assassinations of Iranian Scientists and Military Commanders: An Analysis of International Crime within the Framework of Human Rights

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hossein Tajik Khaveh 1
Amin Amani Babadi 2
1 Attorney and member of the Judiciary Lawyers Center, Master's degree, Criminal Law and Criminology, Pishva Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Email: amirhoseint689@gmail.com
2 Attorney at Law, Member of the Center of Judiciary Lawyers, and Assistant Professor of Law, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran. (Corresponding Author). Email: amin.amani.b@gmail.com
10.22034/cjls.2025.2070865.1063
Abstract
The phenomenon of targeted assassinations of scientists and military commanders of the Islamic Republic of Iran by actors such as the United States of America and the Israeli regime has raised fundamental questions in the field of international law, particularly human rights law. This study aims to analyze these acts within the framework of international human rights and to assess their characterization as international crimes. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and relying on foundational human rights instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Humanitarian Law, the findings indicate that targeted killings outside the framework of armed conflicts constitute a clear violation of fundamental principles such as the right to life, the prohibition of extrajudicial executions, and the right to a fair trial. Furthermore, based on the criteria for the formation of international crimes—including gravity, systematic nature, and breaches of peremptory norms—it is argued that such assassinations may amount to crimes against humanity, as they form part of an organized and widespread policy directed against a civilian group or specific population for political purposes. The article further elaborates on the international responsibility of violating states and explores avenues for prosecuting these crimes before international tribunals.
Keywords
Targeted Assassination
International Crime
Right to Life
Human Rights
Iranian Scientists
Military Commanders
 
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Jurisprudence studies and cultural law
Volume 2, Issue 2
October 2025
Pages 283-305