Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two were martyred in an initial toll of the Israeli drone strike that targeted the al-Asira neighborhood in the city of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli drone strike targeted the al-Asira neighborhood east of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are the greatest resistance. Know that 'Israel' will fall because it embodies aggression, crime, and occupation; victory is truly yours
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: The value of what you are doing despite your wounds is immense, and here you are, treading the path of the Master of Nation's Martyrs and the leaders
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are moving forward with insight deeper than sight itself. The enemy sought to eliminate your role in the battle, yet you remain steadfast and continue the fight
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors one year later: You are healing from your wounds and rising above them. You have successfully passed the test
Palestinian media: Reports of stabbing operation in occupied al-Quds.
Israeli media: Sirens blare in Arava in South, near Ramon Airport.
Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouli: Egypt is targeted in plans to redraw regional map
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami: Our presence in IAEA General Council and fact-checking helped in preventing unilateral rhetoric that aims to portray Iran as an unregulated country

'Systemic racism' rampant in US police, judiciary: UN

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 28 Sep 2023 21:54
  • 7 Shares
4 Min Read

The UN International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law Enforcement calls on authorities to amp up efforts of reform.

  • x
  • Police and protesters converge during a demonstration on September 23, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. (AP)
    Police and protesters converge during a demonstration on September 23, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky, US (AP)

In a fresh report released by the UN International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law Enforcement, it is revealed that "systemic racism" against individuals of African descent is ravaging US police forces and the criminal justice system as it calls on authorities to amp up efforts of reform.

The report is the result of the Mechanism’s official visit to the United States earlier this year, in which it heard testimonies from 133 individuals impacted by it, visited five detention centers, and convened with civil society groups and a range of government and police authorities in the states of the District of Columbia, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, and New York.

Tracie Keesee, an expert member of the Mechanism, said, "In all the cities we went to, we heard dozens of heart-breaking testimonies on how victims do not get justice or redress. This is not new, and it’s unacceptable," adding, "This is a systemic issue that calls for a systemic response. All actors involved, including police departments and police unions, must join forces to combat the prevailing impunity."

According to the report, racism - the legacy of slavery, the slave trade, and 100 years of legalized apartheid - continues to spread today through racial profiling, police killings, and other human rights violations.

Read next: Indigenous America: The US kills its victim and walks in its funeral

It noted that African Americans are three times more likely to be killed by police than whites, and 4.5 times more likely to be imprisoned, adding that only 1% of the over 1,000 cases of murder by police each year, result in officers being indicted.

Children in prison, pregnant women in chains

Related News

Chinese Defense Minister reaffirms stance on Taiwan at Xiangshan forum

Syria's al-Sharaa: Security deal with 'Israel' is a necessity

Juan Mendez, an expert member of the Mechanism, expressed rejection of the "bad apple" theory. There is strong evidence suggesting that the abusive behavior of some individual police officers is part of a broader and menacing pattern," adding, "Law enforcement and criminal justice institutions in the United States share and reproduce values, attitudes, and stereotypes of US society and institutions. These must be reformed."

The report proposed that armed police officers should not be sent as the first responders to every social issue in the US, such as mental health crises, homelessness, and controlling traffic or school discipline, which the report said could be changed by setting alternative responses to policing.

"During our meetings with police officers, we repeatedly heard concerns that officers’ mental health was being affected not only by work overload but also by racism and racial discrimination inside police departments," Keesee clarified, stating, "Expecting law enforcement officers to respect and protect human rights also presupposes a culture of respect and wellbeing within the ranks."

Police agencies are called on by the authors of the report to tackle issues of systemic racism even against Black law enforcement officers and address white supremacy ideology inside the precincts. 

The report cited examples of children of African descent sentenced to life imprisonment, pregnant women in prison put in chains while giving birth, and persons put in solitary confinement for 10 years.

Bad cop, good practices?

It also noted that some people of African descent were prohibited from voting even after years of completing their sentences and that some were given forced labor in "plantation-style" prisons - a contemporary form of slavery.

"The testimonies and figures we received represent the worst part of a racist criminal justice system that erodes all efforts towards addressing systemic racism," Mendez said.

"Our findings point to the critical need for comprehensive reform."

30 recommendations to the US and all its jurisdictions, including over 18,000 police agencies in the country, were handed in the report, which underlined local and federal good practices required and recognized the efforts of the current administration and a few local governments to tackle the issue.

"We encourage the good practices to be reproduced in other parts of the country. We look forward to continuing to cooperate with the United States to implement these recommendations," Mendez concluded.

  • United States
  • United Nations
  • US
  • Police Brutality
  • systemic racism
  • OHCHR

Most Read

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
A screengrab from the ad played on Fox News. (X Screengrab)

Fox airs ad warning Trump not to let Netanyahu 'play' him on Gaza

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

  • Palestine
  • 14 Sep 2025
UKLFI’s latest faux pas, like "Israel’s" recent failed attempt at regime change in Iran, is unambiguously indicative of a flailing entity on the verge of extinction. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

Zionist lawfare operation facing collapse?

  • Opinion
  • 13 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A Hezbollah supporter who lost his sight in a pager attack carried out by "Israel" on Sept. 17, 2024, covers his eyes with a red headband inscribed with the name "Hussein" during Ashoura, July 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'We Have Recovered': Lebanon marks 1st anniversary of Pager Attack

The Arab neighborhood of El Za'im, on the outskirts of east Occupied Al-Quds in the West Bank, near where Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement project, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Palestine

'Israel’s' deliberate policies drive West Bank economy toward collapse

Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Politics

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns over parent company curbing activism

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll
US & Canada

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS