CYIL vol. 9 (2018)

BIRUTĖ PRANEVIČIENĖ – VIOLETA VASILIAUSKIENĖ CYIL 9 ȍ2018Ȏ THE MILITARY USE OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISTS AND ITS CONFORMITY WITH INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW Birutė Pranevičienė – Violeta Vasiliauskienė Abstract: The article analyses the question of compliance of the practice of targeted killings used in the fight against terrorism with international humanitarian law. The authors consider the present situation of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for military purposes. Further, the article discusses the question of the existence of an armed conflict taking into account the criteria of intensity and organisation, and its implications on the use of UAVs. The applicable principles of distinction and prohibition of unnecessary damage applicable in international humanitarian law are discussed and applied to the use of UAVs. Resumé: Článek analyzuje otázku souladu praxe cíleného zabíjení použitých v boji proti terorismu s mezinárodním humanitárním právem. Autorky zvažují současnou situaci v užívání bezpilotních vzdušných prostředků pro vojenské účely. Dále se článek zabývá otázkou existence ozbrojeného konfliktu s přihlédnutím ke kritériím intenzity a organizace a jeho důsledkům pro používání UAV. Použitelné zásady rozlišování a zákazu nadměrného utrpení uplatňované v mezinárodním humanitárním právu jsou projednávány a aplikovány na používání UAV. Key Words: unmanned aerial vehicles, targeted killings, fight against terrorism, international humanitarian law. About the authors: Prof. Dr. Birutė Pranevičienė is a professor of Law at Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania). Since 2003 she has been the Head of the Law Department at the Faculty of Public Security. As the Head of the Law Department, Prof. Dr. B. Pranevičienė is responsible for all jurisprudence courses that are taught at the Faculty of Public Security. She is actively involved in academic activity at all three levels of higher education: she gives lectures for bachelor and master students, she also supervises doctoral students, and she is a convener of the module “The Global Context of European Border Security” in the Frontex project “European Joint Masters in Strategic Border Management”. Her scientific interest is focused on human rights, constitutional, administrative, and environmental law issues. Dr. Violeta Vasiliauskienė teaches Public International Law and European Union Law at the Public Security Faculty of Mykolas Romeris University in Lithuania. She also teaches the subjects of Hydrosphere Protection Policy, Legal Regulation, Human Rights, and Fundamental Freedoms in the Criminal Procedure. Her Ph.D. thesis was acquired in 2014. The topic of the thesis was “The Fight Against Terrorism in the Context of International Humanitarian Law”. Her scientific interests are in public international law, and European Union law. Violeta Vasiliauskienė supervises bachelor and master students at her university, and joint master programs at the Frontex and CEPOL (European Union agency for law enforcement training).

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