Submission of inputs for the preparation of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 43/1 : Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers

Anand, Amit and Lolaksha Nagaveni, Preethi (2021) Submission of inputs for the preparation of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 43/1 : Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Text (Submission of inputs for the preparation of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights)
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Abstract

George Floyd’s death has once again highlighted the issue of widespread systemic racism in the United States of America. As we all saw, soon after Floyd’s death, black people took to the streets in the United States to protest not just against the actions of the police officers who ignored the rules or used unwanted force in apprehending an alleged suspect but also against the inherent bias against people of colour, especially, black people. The general assumption that young black men are more likely to commit a crime than their white counterparts is nothing but an example of the conscious racist attitude prevalent in the United States. This attitude often affects the investigation of a crime and leads to police officers taking the law into their own hands by acting as judge, jury and executioner. We must never forget that the inherent bias against people of colour also robs them of an opportunity to a fair trial and often leads to wrongful convictions. We, as human rights advocates and members of the civil society, have a few recommendations to offer as measures to ensure accountability and provide effective remedy against systemic racism and racial discrimination experienced by Africans and people of African descent within law enforcement and the criminal justice system in the United States of America.