Ben Saul, the United Nations Special Rapporteur, stated that U.S. boat strikes are in violation of the right to life and international law.
Posted by Behind the Bastards, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 92%
Behind the BastardsOct 3, 2026
Multiple tier1 outlets (BBC, UPI, ABC, and others) report that Ben Saul, UN Special Rapporteur, issued a briefing note stating the US boat strikes violate the right to life and international law, quoting the same language the claim paraphrases. The extracted claim faithfully reflects the passage's quoted assertion and no source contradicts it.
What was said
… Maritime, international, and humanitarian law have noted, these strikes on civilians, because they absolutely are not combatants, and the U.S. Is not at war against the groups that they pretend that these people are a part of, are basically murder. As Ben Saul, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism, wrote in a briefing note, the attacks are, quote, "in violation of the right to life, being unjustified in national or personal self-defense or under international humanitarian law, the international law of the sea, narcotic suppression conventions, or international counterterrorism law." Later on in that same document, he wrote that there is, quote, "reasonable ground to believe," end quote, "that the United States strikes," quote, "constituted crimes against humanity of murder under customary international law." …
Behind the Bastards · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. BBC reports Saul's briefing note said the attacks are 'serial extrajudicial killings in violation of the right to life' and unjustified under international humanitarian law, the law of the sea, and counterterrorism law.[1][2]
Supports. UPI reports Saul said the attacks are 'contrary to international law, violate the human right to life, and plausibly constitute crimes against humanity.'[3]
Supports. ABC News reports the UN report found the strikes breach international, maritime and humanitarian law, citing Saul's briefing note.[4]
Supports. Saul's authorship of the briefing note is corroborated by the UN transcript and a Wikipedia entry describing his September 2026 briefing note on the strikes.[5][6]
Context. Saul's note goes further than the claim, stating there are reasonable grounds to believe the strikes constituted crimes against humanity; the claim omits this but does not misstate it.[1][3][7]
Sources
7 sources: 2 tier 1, 5 not rated
- 1US strikes on alleged drug boats could be crimes against ... - BBCbbc.co.uk · tier 1 · cited for: supports, context
- 2US strikes on alleged drug boats could be crimes against humanity ...bbc.com · tier 1 · cited for: supports
- 3U.N. investigator: U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats may be crimes against humanityupi.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 4US 'drug boat' strikes breach international law, could be crimes ...abc.net.au · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of ...transcripts.un.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Ben Saul - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7US Strikes Could Be Crimes Against Humanity - UN Expertlatinamericadailybriefing.substack.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Senator Mark Warner stated that the U.S. does not know the identities of all individuals on many of the boats targeted in strikes.True
- Only three out of 28 total survivors of US military boat strikes have been rescued.True
- A US military boat strike on October 14, 2025, killed six people, including Chad Charpo, Joseph, and Richie Samaru.True
- A US military boat strike occurred on September 15, 2025, killing three men, including Alejandro Caranza Medina.True
- Airwars has identified 26 victims of US boat strikes by their full names.True