U.N. rights expert condemns recent killings by police in US

New York, N.Y.  The chair of the United Nations expert panel on people of African descent has condemned the back-to-back killings of two African-American men by police in the United States this week, saying the incidents demonstrate “a high level of structural and institutional racism.”

Protestors in New York City demonstrate in the wake of the verdict in the case of the police shooting of Missouri teenager Michael Brown (24 November 2014). Photo: Jacques Baudrier

“The Working Group [of Experts on People of African Descent] is outraged and strongly condemns the new police killings of two African-American men,” said Chairman Ricardo A. Sunga III in a statement today.

“These killings, which were captured on video, cannot be ignored. We call for prompt independent investigations to ensure the perpetrators are prosecuted and punished,” he added.

The statement was issued following this week’s deaths of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana at the hands of the police, and Thursday night’s killing of five police officers in downtown Dallas, Texas.

According to the statement, excessive use of force by the police against African-Americans in the US is a “regular” occurrence. African-Americans are reportedly shot at more than twice the rate of white people.

The Working Group is monitoring the situation and has repeatedly expressed its concern to the US Government about police killings of African-Americans and called for justice, and is convinced that the root of the problem lies in the lack of accountability for perpetrators of such killings despite the evidence.

“The killings also demonstrate a high level of structural and institutional racism. The United States is far from recognizing the same rights for all its citizens. Existing measures to address racist crimes motivated by prejudice are insufficient and have failed to stop the killings,” the human rights expert said.

“It is time, now, for the US Government to strongly assert that Black lives matter and prevent any further killings as a matter of national priority,” he said.

He also condemned yesterday’s sniper attacks on police officers in downtown Dallas during a protest over the killings of African-American men in other cities, calling for the perpetrators to be held accountable.

Also today, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Mr. Ban also condemned the killing of the police officers in Dallas. The UN chief extended his condolences to the families and colleagues of the victims, as well as the Police Department of Dallas.

“There is no justification for such violence. Those responsible compounded the suffering that many in the United States feel following the killing of two African-American men over two days. Those killings must be the subject of a thorough and impartial investigation,” the spokesman said, adding that the killings once again put the focus on the need to address discrimination, including racial disparities in law enforcement, in a comprehensive manner.

According to media reports, at least one sniper killed five officers and wounded seven others at the rally on Thursday night. The sniper was killed, and three other people are in custody.

Independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. They serve in their personal capacity and are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

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