Top German court dismisses lawsuit challenging US drone operations via Ramstein

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Germany does not violate international law by allowing US drone operations via the Ramstein Air Base, the country's top court ruled on Tuesday.

The Federal Constitutional Court dismissed a complaint filed by two Yemeni citizens whose relatives were killed in a 2012 US drone strike in their homeland.

Despite Ramstein Air Base in southwestern Germany playing a central role in US targeted killings via drone strikes in the Middle East, the court determined the German government is not required to take action.

In its ruling, the court acknowledged that while Germany has a general mandate to protect and safeguard core principles of international humanitarian law, it did not identify "a serious risk of a systematic violation of applicable public international law" during such drone operations.

"The fact that the Basic Law binds the Federal Republic of Germany to the international community and commits German state authority to international cooperation must also be taken into consideration," the judges said in their ruling.

They added: "It is a constitutionally enshrined goal to guarantee the Federal Republic of Germany's capacity to act and form coalitions in the context of foreign policy and to ensure its participation in international cooperation."

The judges further claimed that Germany’s capacity to form coalitions “is a constitutional interest” that must also be taken into account when specifying extraterritorial duties of protection.