“Do Not Commit War Crimes for Anyone; citing superior orders to justify war crimes does not absolve the perpetrators of criminal liability. The U.S. ruling establishment intends to sacrifice whatever remains of international humanitarian law and the foundations of human ethics and civilization to its insatiable appetite for war and slaughter,” Baghaei wrote on X on Thursday.
He added, “A policy that calls for the destruction of bridges and power plants is manifestly unlawful and criminal. It constitutes reprisal and collective punishment—both of which are explicitly prohibited as war crimes under international humanitarian law and U.S. domestic law alike, specifically under 18 U.S.C. § 2441 (the War Crimes Act).”
“There is no statute of limitations for these offenses. The Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Department of Defense Law of War Manual make it unequivocally clear that service members have both a legal and moral duty to refuse manifestly unlawful orders. Iran stands firm and resolute against lawlessness and the flouting of the law,” the spokesperson concluded.
MNA