The families of two Trinidadian men who were killed in a US boat strike are suing the US government for "manifestly unlawful" killings. Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41, were among six civilians killed in the October 14 attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea.
According to the lawsuit filed in US federal admiralty court, the men's deaths were "homicides" committed without due process. The suit alleges that the US government was aware of its own laws prohibiting extrajudicial killings, yet chose to target civilians anyway.
The lawsuit is being brought under the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute, which gives federal courts jurisdiction over violations of international law. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for wrongful death and extrajudicial killing.
Experts say that the US military's campaign of attacks in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean is "unprecedented and manifestly unlawful". The strikes have killed at least 126 civilians, with many more reported injured or missing.
The US government insists that the attacks are permitted under international law, claiming that they are part of a non-international armed conflict with designated terrorist organizations. However, experts say this claim is flawed, as there is no actual armed conflict that could justify the lethal attacks on boats.
The Intercept has been reporting on these incidents and exposed the US government's secret list of Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTOs), which includes many civilian organizations. The Trump administration's claims to have legal cover for these killings are "patently false", according to experts.
The lawsuit is a significant development in the ongoing struggle over free speech, press freedom, and human rights in the United States. As one lawyer put it, "These were both homicides... Both men were killed without any due process."
According to the lawsuit filed in US federal admiralty court, the men's deaths were "homicides" committed without due process. The suit alleges that the US government was aware of its own laws prohibiting extrajudicial killings, yet chose to target civilians anyway.
The lawsuit is being brought under the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute, which gives federal courts jurisdiction over violations of international law. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for wrongful death and extrajudicial killing.
Experts say that the US military's campaign of attacks in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean is "unprecedented and manifestly unlawful". The strikes have killed at least 126 civilians, with many more reported injured or missing.
The US government insists that the attacks are permitted under international law, claiming that they are part of a non-international armed conflict with designated terrorist organizations. However, experts say this claim is flawed, as there is no actual armed conflict that could justify the lethal attacks on boats.
The Intercept has been reporting on these incidents and exposed the US government's secret list of Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTOs), which includes many civilian organizations. The Trump administration's claims to have legal cover for these killings are "patently false", according to experts.
The lawsuit is a significant development in the ongoing struggle over free speech, press freedom, and human rights in the United States. As one lawyer put it, "These were both homicides... Both men were killed without any due process."
. I mean, those guys were basically pirates or something 
. If they're just going to sail around causing trouble and attacking innocent ships, that's not a crime, that's just common sense 
. And if the US is protecting its citizens and its interests, then what's wrong with taking out some enemy ships? 
It's all about national security, fam 
. Those families should be grateful they're even getting a lawsuit settlement, let alone a chance to sue the US gov for millions 
. This whole thing is just a bunch of entitled rich people whining about being hurt in a war 
. The Intercept's expose on those DTOs was actually super insightful, btw 
.
. Like, if there's no actual armed conflict going on, why can't they just leave innocent people alone? 
The fact that the Intercept exposed this secret list of DTOs with civilian orgs is wild 
. Its not about free speech or press freedom, its about basic human rights, you know? 
Chad and Rishi's families deserve justice for their loved ones, and I'm all for it 
. Maybe we'll finally see some accountability from the US gov 
.
. I mean, what's next? Targeting civilians on a plane or something? It's just crazy that the US gov is saying they're in an armed conflict with terrorist organizations, but there's no actual fighting going on... it's all just these innocent people getting caught up in the crossfire 
. I mean, I know we've had our share of problems with drones and all that, but this is just on a whole different level.
. And it's not like they're getting any justice from the US gov... that's just not right.
the trump admin claims to have legal cover but like, dont they know about due process? 
i mean these 126+ civilian deaths is just insane 
and now the families of these men are fighting for justice and maybe even some kinda compensation 
its def a sign that we need more transparency and accountability from our govs 
!! 126 civilians dead because of some shady stuff that the US government is trying to spin as being legit?!?! Give me a break!!! They're basically saying that it's okay to just kill people on boats without even bothering to try and figure out if they're actually terrorists or not. And then they've got the nerve to claim that it's all part of some non-international armed conflict? Are they kidding me?! 
. Newsflash: just because you've got a list doesn't make it right!!! And don't even get me started on the fact that these men were killed without due process... like, what kind of monsters do that?!?!
. It's about time someone stood up for Chad and Rishi and all the other innocent civilians who've been caught in the crossfire of this US military campaign 
. Like, hello, if there was an actual war on, wouldn't the US military be wearing more than one hat at once? 
And don't even get me started on this secret list of Designated Terrorist Organizations - sounds like a bunch of arbitrary labels to me 
. This lawsuit is about time - we need more people speaking up against these extrajudicial killings 
. I hope the court sees through this US government's BS and holds them accountable for their actions 
.
.
that they can just go around and kill whoever they want, whenever they want. That's not how justice works at all! 
It's like they think they're above the law 
.
is just a total 
. Their deaths are a tragedy, and it's not right that they died without due process 
. We need to stand up for human rights and press freedom 
It's hard to believe that anyone thought this was a good idea. 
. anyway, i'm keeping an eye on this one, it's gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out.
no one should be targeted or killed without due process, not even in the heat of battle. 
we need more transparency and accountability from our leaders so this doesn't happen again. 
. and to make matters worse, it sounds like the US gov's trying to cover their tracks by saying there's some kinda 'armed conflict' going on, when really, there isn't 
. it's like, basic human decency right there 
. Can't even see what's going on because all the words are bunched together like a mess 
. Anyway, back to the article... this whole thing with the US killing civilians in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean is super disturbing. The fact that they're suing the government for "manifestly unlawful" killings is definitely a step in the right direction 
. And now these families are fighting back, seeking justice for their loved ones who were killed in cold blood 
. We need more transparency and accountability from our government, and we need it now 
. The fact that experts are calling these actions "unprecedented and manifestly unlawful" just confirms that something is seriously wrong here 
and also to the experts who are exposing the truth about the US government's actions. keep speaking out! 
. And the fact that they're trying to cover it up with some fancy international law mumbo-jumbo 
only makes it worse. The families of those two Trinidadian men deserve justice and compensation, not some flimsy explanation from the US government