ACLU and CCR v. Geithner/Al-Aulaqi v. Obama
Country of proceedings: US
Context of crimes: US, Yemen
Date: 2010 -
Keywords: Law of armed conflicts (methods of combat, weapons), procedural law
Court documents
03-08-2010 - Complaint (challenging licence decision)
30-08-2010 - Complaint (challening 'targeted killings')
30-08-2010 - Memorandum in Support of Plaintiffs Motion for Preliminary Injunction
25-09-2010 - Defendants' Motion to Dismiss
08-10-2010 - Memorandum in Support of Plaintiffs Motion for Preliminary Injunction
18-10-2010 - Defendants' Reply to Plaintiffs opposition to MTD
07-12-2010 - Memorandum Opinion (granting Defendant's MTD)
Other documents
A/HRC/14/24/Add.6 - Study on targeted killings by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (28-05-2010)
Presentation of the case
On 3 August 2010, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), challenging the refusal to grant a licence allowing the groups to file a lawsuit concerning the US government’s authority to carry out targeted killings. A second lawsuit challenging the authority of the US to use 'targeted killings' was filed on 30 August 2010.
In 2010, Anwar Al-Aulaqi, a US citizen, was placed on a list of persons whose death was authorized by the US government following suspicions that he is a member of Al-Qaida in Yemen. Under US laws, since Al-Aulaqi has been labelled as a “ specially designated global terrorist”, lawyers must seek a licence from OFAC before being authorized to represent him. The CCR and ACLU challenged the refusal to grant such a licence and the overall legality of the licencing scheme.
The case raises specific issues of international law concerning the use of force, and the use of force in peacetime, which the two organizations claim is violated by the US policy to add names of suspects to a list for targeted killings.
In December 2010, Judge John D. Bates wrote a memorandum opinion dismissing the case on political question grounds without responding on the merits. On 12 February 2011, the ACLU and CCR released a statement that in consultation with their client (Nassar Al-Aulaqi, father of Anwar Al-Aulaqi), they would not be pursuing an appeal. The statement can be found here.
Update: On 30 September 2011, drone-led airstrikes killed Anwar Al-Aulaqi in Yemen. The ACLU's statement can be found here.
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