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A coalition of civil rights attorneys from around the world filed a complaint to the United Nations on behalf of the Black people fleeing Ukraine amid Russia's deadly invasion. The complaint comes as reports once again surface that Black people –– including Nigerian and Jamaican university students –– are being turned away at European borders to make way for "real" Ukrainians.
The group announced their plans to file the complaint on Wednesday (March 2) and includes civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, who represented the families of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery; Jasmine Rand –– who represented the families of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. US National Bar Association President Carlos Moore is also supporting the efforts.
Representing the UK are Judge Peter Herbert –– one of Britain's few non-white judges, along with British solicitor Jacqueline Mackenzie as well as Jamaican Parliament Member G. Anthony Hylton, NBC News reported.
The complaint will be filed with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as the UN's Committee of Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Several disturbing videos were posted online detailing the mistreatment of Black people and other people of color being turned away at European borders, pulled off of trains leaving Ukraine, and pushed to the back of lines as more than a million people flee the war-torn country.
The racism was acknowledged by Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi who, "issued statements Russia about its human rights activities during its attack on Ukraine. And so, it is completely appropriate for that same body to examine what Ukraine is doing, which, while sad, is not surprising because we live in a world that has structures and systemic pieces built up over centuries that make Black and brown people less than."
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