Human rights lawyers are going to sue British Foreign Secretary William Hague for allegedly using intelligence to assist American drone strikes in Pakistan, according to the BBC.
The case is being considered at the High Court in London, on behalf of Noor Khan, whose father was killed in a drone strike.
Khan's father, Malik Daud Khan, was part of a local council of elders holding a meeting in northwest Pakistan when a drone-fired missile hit the group, according to the law firm. Khan was among 40 killed in the attack, according to the Guardian.
The lawyers said that civilian intelligence officers who passed on information may also be liable as "secondary parties to murder," according to the BBC.
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Richard Stein, the head of human rights at London law firm Leigh Day & Co., said, "We believe that there is credible, unchallenged evidence that the secretary of state is operating a policy of passing intelligence to officials or agents of the US government; and that he considers such a policy to be 'in strict accordance' with the law," according to the Guardian.
The lawyers plan to argue that those involved in planning the drone attacks can only claim immunity from criminal prosecution if they are "lawful combatants," according to Reuters. Since the staff working at the UK's Government Communications Headquarters are mostly civilians, they are not classified as combatants in an "armed international conflict" and could be prosecuted, said the law firm.
More on GlobalPost: US soldier held in deaths of 16 Afghans
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/pakistan/120311/william-hague-sued-over-pakistan-drone-strikes
The case is being considered at the High Court in London, on behalf of Noor Khan, whose father was killed in a drone strike.
Khan's father, Malik Daud Khan, was part of a local council of elders holding a meeting in northwest Pakistan when a drone-fired missile hit the group, according to the law firm. Khan was among 40 killed in the attack, according to the Guardian.
The lawyers said that civilian intelligence officers who passed on information may also be liable as "secondary parties to murder," according to the BBC.
More on GlobalPost: Pakistan: Zaheerul Islam appointed new head of ISI
Richard Stein, the head of human rights at London law firm Leigh Day & Co., said, "We believe that there is credible, unchallenged evidence that the secretary of state is operating a policy of passing intelligence to officials or agents of the US government; and that he considers such a policy to be 'in strict accordance' with the law," according to the Guardian.
The lawyers plan to argue that those involved in planning the drone attacks can only claim immunity from criminal prosecution if they are "lawful combatants," according to Reuters. Since the staff working at the UK's Government Communications Headquarters are mostly civilians, they are not classified as combatants in an "armed international conflict" and could be prosecuted, said the law firm.
More on GlobalPost: US soldier held in deaths of 16 Afghans
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/pakistan/120311/william-hague-sued-over-pakistan-drone-strikes
