Date : 2020.06.05

IMADR condemns the police killing of George Floyd and racial discrimination in the United States

June 5, 2020

On the morning of May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a black man, was killed by a police officer on a street of Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States. According to eyewitnesses, Mr. Floyd was held by a police officer by the neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as he was knocked to the ground and suffocated to death. During the incident, he continued to ask for help for three minutes, saying he could not breathe.

IMADR strongly condemns the police killing of Mr. Floyd. There have been repeated incidents of violence and killings of African-Americans by police officers in the United States which are rooted in racial prejudice and discrimination, and the widespread impunity for perpetrators. Many of them were caused, as this case shows, by the misconducts of law enforcement officers supported by racial profiling. We are deeply concerned that racism, especially against black people, still persists in the American society today, leading to tragedies such as this one.

In 2014 when the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) conducted a periodic country review of the United States, it expressed concerns about the use of excessive force by law enforcement officials against minorities and recommended to ensure thorough investigations into such human rights violations, prosecution and appropriate punishment of perpetrators, and adequate reparations to the families of victims.[1] We regret that the recommendations issued six years ago have not been implemented satisfactorily, and again the incident has taken place this time. The Committee also recommended for the eradication of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.

Racial profiling fuels discrimination. Its targets are not limited to people of African descent, but also other minorities, indigenous peoples and migrants. We strongly oppose racial profiling and urge the United States to prohibit such practices by law and ensure that effective human rights training is provided for law enforcement and public officials.

IMADR has been working to end racism for more than 30 years, connecting with minority communities around the world who are experiencing discrimination. Many of these minority communities have suffered the damage caused by the abuse of public power and human rights violations as shown in the case of Mr. Floyd. We call for the realization of a society where all people can live in dignity and without discrimination, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We urge the United States and other countries around the world to accelerate their efforts for the promotion and protection of human rights.

[1] ¹ CERD/C/USA/CO/7-9,

https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CERD%2fC%2fUSA%2fCO%2f7

-9&Lang=en

The statement in Japanese