Kampala, Uganda: A Ugandan lawyer has petitioned the International Criminal Court seeking investigations into United States President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the alleged targeted killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Joshua Okello, who submitted a criminal communication to both the ICC and the United Nations Human Rights Council, argues that the February 2026 military operation that reportedly killed the Iranian leader violated international law.
Okello claims the alleged operation constituted a Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) designed to eliminate the Iranian Supreme Leader without authorization from the United Nations Security Council.
According to the submission, the action amounts to several violations under international law, including the crime of aggression under Article 8(2)(b)(i) of the Rome Statute, extrajudicial execution, and crimes against humanity under Article 7.
The petition further argues that the alleged attack undermined the principles of sovereignty and international justice as enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international human rights treaties.
“Justice is not a privilege reserved for the powerful; it is a right for the global collective,” Okello said in a statement accompanying the filing.
“As a citizen of Uganda, I am calling on the ICC Prosecutor to exercise proprio motu powers to ensure that the rule of law is not replaced by the rule of force. No leader, regardless of their nation’s power, is above international law.”
Okello said he has also submitted the complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Council to raise global awareness about the alleged incident and seek broader international scrutiny.
The Kampala-based lawyer is now seeking legal backing and support from international human rights organisations to pursue the matter before international courts.
The ICC Prosecutor has not yet publicly commented on the petition.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
