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One year after the murder of George Floyd, we should be honoring the actions that made his name a global call to action instead of targeting those who speak out
Oregon police march towards protesters through teargas and smoke in September 2020. ‘Governments and law enforcement have instead targeted protests and protesters with the same brutal force against which these protests were aimed.’ Photograph: Allison Dinner/AFP/Getty Images
Oregon police march towards protesters through teargas and smoke in September 2020. ‘Governments and law enforcement have instead targeted protests and protesters with the same brutal force against which these protests were aimed.’ Photograph: Allison Dinner/AFP/Getty Images
US is guilty of crimes against humanity, says panel
By Siboniso Mngadi
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A group of legal experts says the US is guilty of crimes against humanity and major violations of international law after a spate of incidents where black people were killed at the hands of police.
This was contained in the International Commission of Inquiry on Systemic Racist Police Violence Against People of African Descent report in the US. The inquiry was instituted by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the National Conference of Black Lawyers, and the National Lawyers Guild in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police officers.
Independent Commission Calls U.S. Police Killing of Blacks Crimes Against Humanity, But Lacks Enforcement Authority
On 5/3/21 at 6:00 AM EDT
An independent commission announced its findings on April 27 with the publication of a detailed report that alleges the existence of systemic racism inherent in police violence against Black Americans, which they argue constitutes crimes against humanity.
Although the commission has no enforcement authority, it made specific referrals to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government and the U.S. Congress, among others.
In the U.S., the referrals included a call for reparations, action to review and retool existing law enforcement policies, and passage of legislation to hold law enforcement officers accountable when Black individuals die as a result of their encounters with police.
Commission Finds Anti-Black Police Violence Constitutes Crimes Against Humanity
Demonstrators protest near the Hennepin County Courthouse on April 19, 2021, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Scott Olson / Getty Images
prima facie case of crimes against humanity and they asked the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to initiate an investigation of responsible police officials.
These crimes against humanity under the ICC’s Rome Statute include
murder,
persecution of people of African descent, and
inhumane acts causing great suffering or serious injury to body or mental or physical health. All of the crimes occurred in the context of a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population of Black people in the United States, as documented by the findings of fact in the 188-page report.
In the aftermath of the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and the ensuing worldwide protests, the American Civil Liberties Union in collaboration with Human Rights Network, the United Nations special rapporteur on Racism, Gay McDougall of the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and others sent an appeal to the United Nations high commissioner for human rights asking for a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) and a commission of inquiry. It was a demand put forth in the name of the families of Black victims of police violence and over 600 advocacy organizations.