The International Commission on Human Rights will hold a public hearing on the Michael Browns case

WASHINGTON – On July 10, almost a decade after the killing of Michael Browns at the hands of Ferguson police, the Brown family will appear before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for a first-of-its-kind hearing on the case Browns. Featuring testimony from Browns' mother, Lezley McSpadden, as well as attorneys and activists from Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and the Howard University Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, the hearing will offer a last chance for public accountability in Browns' murder.

The hearing, which will take place virtually and is open to the public, represents the first time in history that the Inter-American Commission will hear an individual case of police violence in the United States.

The Michaels case is emblematic of widespread police violence against black people in the US, he said Delia Addo-Yobo, staff attorney at RFK Human Rights. More people were killed by police last year than in any other year on record. By taking on the Michaels case, the IACHR is facilitating new pathways to justice for those affected by discriminatory and widespread police violence.

Living near Ferguson when the 21st century global movement against police brutality began has defined my career as a movement advocate, and working with Mike Browns mother over the years has been an honor, said Justin Hansford, director of the Thurgood Marshall Center for Civil Rights. From going with him and the Ferguson protesters to the UN ten years ago to preparing again to argue in an international human rights court that what happened to Mike Brown was not just a violation of his constitutional and civil rights , but also of his human rights. The family deserves healing, repair and meaningful change. Reopening this case and prosecuting Darren Wilson would be a start. I pray that this session will bring us one step closer to understanding the truth and achieving justice.

The hearing marks an important milestone in a multi-year legal journey that began in 2015, when Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and the Thurgood Marshall Center for Civil Rights petitioned the IACHR to review the Michaels case. In 2022, the IACHR determined that the petition raised clear allegations that the United States' failure to hold the officers accountable violated rights guaranteed under the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man.

The last decade has proven that our domestic legal structures are inadequate and outdated compared to international human rights standards, he said. Wade McMullen, SVP of Legal Programs and Strategy at RFK Human Rights. Having exhausted every US mechanism for justice, the Brown family is now asking the IACHR for responsibility for their loved one's death.

After the July 10 hearing, the IACHR will release a report outlining its findings on the case and making recommendations to the United States government. Representing Mrs. McSpadden, RFK Human Rights and Howard University have requested that the IACHR recommend an independent investigation into Brown's death; a public apology to the Browns; and the implementation of key US legislation such as the BREATHE Act and the recently reintroduced The Helping Families Heal Act, which would expand mental health services to communities harmed by police violence. A full list of proposed remedies can be found here .

The hearing will be broadcast live on Wednesday, July 10 at 4:00 PM ET. Visit https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/ to see.

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About Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

We are a non-partisan, non-profit organization that has worked to realize Robert F. Kennedy's dream of a more just and peaceful world since 1968. In partnership with local activists, we advocate for key human rights issues, championing change and pursuing strategic litigation at home and around the world. And to ensure change that lasts, we promote a social good approach to business and investment and educate millions of students about human rights and social justice.

About the Thurgood Marshall Center for Civil Rights

The Thurgood Marshall Center for Civil Rights is Howard University's primary institutional facility for the study and practice of civil rights, human rights, and racial justice law and advocacy. We seek to achieve the goal of racial justice using a human rights framework and a social movement-centered approach. The center and its advocates use engaged research when fighting the battle of ideas in the ivory tower, movement advocacy when fighting for rights in courts, congresses and other halls of power, and community organizing when fighting to build power in communities. of blacks.