Court Rules Against Germany’s Military Bases Facilitating US Drone Strikes

clare | crime and justice | news report Wednesday March 20, 2019 16:42 by Mary Kelly

Yesterday, a local court ruled that the German Government must do more to ensure its territory is not used by the US to carry out unlawful drone strikes in Yemen.

Reprieve's case on behalf of a family members killed by US drones marks the first time a European country has been found to play an essential role in US drone strikes, with the Court holding that Germany’s role means it has a duty to protect the right to life of those being targeted. Ramstein Air base provides the satellite relay infrastructure without which drone strikes wouldn’t be possible.

Jennifer Gibson of Reprieve said: “This is a ground breaking result. The court has made one thing very clear to Germany – they can no longer hide in the shadows and absolve themselves of responsibility for the innocent lives being destroyed by Trump’s illegal drone programme. The UK and other European countries are now on notice. They must hold President Trump to account and stop being complicit in these crimes.”