Thread by @omctorg

Our livestream on police brutality as a form of torture is about to start. Join us here -> bit.ly/3cc7In2
@ImogenFoulkes

We have been seeing an alarming prevalence of unprovoked levels of violence by police against peaceful protesters for several years now - Prof. Michael Hamilton @LawOfProtest

Demonstrations have become so large in the #USA that they have angered both the police and politicians and therefore the responses have become more excessive - Kerry McLean

Police officers are not here to serve the community but to control it. They view it as a threat - Kerry McLean on the #USA

One contributing factor over the past 20 years has been the militarisation of police around the world, even in #Switzerland where we see policemen wearing at times black or camouflage instead of the usual blue - @NilsMelzer

In 2020 30% of 1027 people killed by the police were people of African descent even though they constitute only 13% of the #USA population - Kerry McLean

The definition of torture speaks of the intentional infliction of pain: when using a weapon in uncontrolled ways, eg rubber bullets bouncing off the ground and hitting passersby, you are consciously taking the risk and causing harm which amounts to torture - @NilsMelzer

It is very important to talk with the legislature to incite them to respect international standards. Advocacy is key to building a dialogue around these issues - Elsy Sainna @ICJKenya

More than 90% of cases of torture remain unresolved over the 4 years of my mandate. The system does not work @NilsMelzer

If the law was really applied in a democracy there would be no problem of accountability for perpetrators of torture. The fact that there is no accountability shows that we have a crisis of democracy. It's not one bad apple, it's a whole rotten orchard - @NilsMelzer

Social media, cell phones & new technology give us more opportunities for real time reporting on abuses. We in the human rights community need to harness this. This is our chance to identify incidents faster and hold perpetrators accountable - @rohinihaar

#USA has a historical backdrop to racist policing. Slave patrols were some of the first policing institutions in the South. After the end of slavery police enforced segregation & restricted the freedom of Blacks. This still influences the police force today - Kerry McLean

In #Kenya we work with community monitors who give us reports on police violence at the local level. These reports are verified, published and used as information for our advocacy - Elsy Sainna @ICJKenya

I want to encourage people to realise the political power and responsibility they have. We are in a crisis of democracy but all is not lost. I’m convinced that if we can increase political awareness around the world, we can move this ship around - @NilsMelzer

« We have documented the militarization of police with the Omega foundation. The industry of weapons for crowd control has grown exponentially and the human rights community is struggling to catch up. There is a lack of legislation around this. » Matthew McEvoy @Omega_RF