Swiss torture rapporteur denounces US ‘racial terror’
The UN’s special rapporteur on torture, Nils Melzer of Switzerland, has called on the US to launch independent investigations into excessive force used by police against Afro-Americans.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jc
“Today we, UN experts, stand united in condemning modern-day racial terror lynchings in the USA and demand systemic reform and justice,” he tweeted. “Impunity must end here and now!”
In a joint statement on Friday with other independent UN experts, he deplored US president Donald Trump’s responses to the recent demonstrations that have followed the death of George Floyd at police hands. “We are deeply concerned that the nation is on the brink of a militarized response that re-enacts the injustices that have driven people to the streets to protest,” says the statement.
The experts say the protests are against “systemic racism that produces state-sponsored racial violence”. Other manifestations of this “systemic racism” include “the racially disparate death rate and socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the disparate and discriminatory enforcement of pandemic-related restrictions”.
They also raised concern about police responses to recent demonstrations in some cities, saying they were “marked by violence, arbitrary arrest, militarisation and the detention of thousands of protesters. Reporters of colour have been targeted and detained, and some journalists have faced violence and harassment.”
Employees in Switzerland increasingly stressed at work
This content was published on
The proportion of people in Switzerland who are stressed at work has increased by 5% over ten years, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
F/A-18 fighter jets will practice take offs and landings on the A1 motorway between Payerne and Avenches in canton Vaud on June 5.
Swisscom finalises financing for Vodafone Italia takeover
This content was published on
Telecoms group Swisscom has taken the next step in its takeover of Vodafone Italia and secured financing for the deal, the company said on Thursday.
This content was published on
Hundreds of people in Switzerland’s biggest city have protested against the death of an Afro-American man in police custody in the US.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.