Bert Samuels to sit on int’l commission of inquiry

Bert Samuels, attorney-at-law and Pan-Africanist, has been invited by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, The National Conference of Black Lawyers, and The National Lawyers Guild, to sit on an International Commission of Inquiry.

The commission is to examine Cases of victims of police violence, extrajudicial killings, and maiming of people of African descent, and entrenched structural racism in police practices throughout the United States (US); and the structural racism and bias in the criminal justice system of the United States.

This commission of inquiry was born out of the May 25, 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, US. The family of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, along with over 600 human rights groups, in June of last year, petitioned the United Nations Human Rights Council to appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate the escalating situation of police violence and systemic racism against people of African descent in the US.

This petition was opposed by the US and hence, the United Nations declined to establish a commission of inquiry focusing on the United States.

Recognising, however, that the killing and maiming of unarmed black people by the police and vigilante groups in the United States continues to escalate unabated, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers decided to establish an International Commission of Inquiry comprising of distinguished expert members from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean to conduct an independent inquiry into:

1. Police violence and extra judicial killings;

2. Structural racism; and

3. Bias in the criminal justice system.

Samuels will sit with 11 other commissioners and conduct fact-finding, virtual, and online public hearings. He has been recognised because of his international reputation as a distinguished defender of human rights and the rule of law.

The hearings are to commence on January 18 through to February 6.

Although the UN Human Rights Council declined to convene a specific inquiry focusing on the US, it has mandated the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a report on systemic racism, violations of international human rights law against Africans and people of African descent by law enforcement agencies globally. As such, a report of the findings of the Commission of Inquiry will be submitted to the high commissioner to assist her with that mandate.