Extrajudicial killing

This painting, The Third of May 1808 by Francisco Goya, depicts the summary execution of Spaniards by French forces after the Dos de Mayo Uprising in Madrid.

An extrajudicial killing (also known as an extrajudicial execution or an extralegal killing) refers to the act of a governmental authority killing a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. Such killings are usually carried out with the approval of the regime ordering them. Deaths caused by legal police actions (such as self defense) or legal warfighting on a battlefield are generally not included.