Public Law Studies Quarterly

Arming the Syrian opposition from the perspective of international law

Authors

Maryam Ahmadinejad 1
Mohsen Mataji 2
Yaser Aminalroaya 3

1 Assistant Professor, University of Alzahra, Tehran, Iran

2 PhD Student in International Law, Faculty of Law, Mofid University, Qom, Iran

3 PhD in International Law, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences , Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jplsq.2016.60522
Abstract
It has been over five years since the Syrian crisis has begun. Financial and logistical support of regional and trans-regional States have played a key role in the prolongation of this upheaval. Arming the Syrian opposition not only violates the principle of prohibition on use of force, but also falls short of the imaginable scope of both the principle of humanitarian intervention and the principle of counter-intervention. Additionally, as Bashar Al-Assad was elected president in the 2014 elections, the mentioned act is also illegitimate under the principle of the right of nations to self-determination. Based on a descriptive method, this article provokes international principles to argue against justifications applied to aid the Syrian rebels.

Keywords

armed groups
arming
humanitarian intervention
Use of Force
Self Determination

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Public Law Studies Quarterly
Volume 46, Issue 4
Winter 2017
Pages 873-906

  • Receive Date 06 April 2016
  • Revise Date 25 July 2016
  • Accept Date 25 July 2016

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