A man of African descent died while trying to transfer him to a psychiatric hospital by elements of the German police, and the police were accused of using excessive force against him, and dealing with racism.
A human rights expert has accused German police of "racism" over the death of a man of African descent while trying to transfer him to a psychiatric hospital.
On Thursday, Cuba Iunga Medard Mutombo, 64, of African descent, died three weeks after German police used excessive force while trying to take him to a psychiatric hospital, according to his family.
According to witnesses and Mutombo's brother, the incident is similar to the killing of George Floyd in the United States.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, human rights expert Dilapap Basu blamed the Berlin police and their "racist" behavior for Mutombo's killing, without clarifying his origins.
Regarding the incident that occurred on the morning of September 14, Basu said, "Mutombo panicked when he saw the policemen who entered his room and threw him to the ground, then one of the officers sat on his neck."
He added: "After he was moved to the ground floor, 13 other policemen joined in and forced them all to stay on the ground. By that time, Mutombo had almost collapsed, so I believe his death was due to his brutal treatment by the police."
According to witnesses and Mutombo's brother, the incident is similar to the killing of George Floyd in the United States.
"The death of Mutombo, who was suffering from schizophrenia, was not an isolated case, and they are receiving more and more complaints about police brutality against African-Americans and immigrants in Germany," said Basu, an expert on police violence and racial profiling.
"In my counseling center, I would like to say that we are recording two cases of racism and police violence every day," he confirmed.
According to Basu, who has been with Reach Out for more than 20 years, many cases of police brutality go unreported, not properly investigated or punished by the authorities.
Basso lamented that "due to this trend of racial prejudice, most people of color and many immigrants have lost confidence in the German justice system amid expectations that their complaints will not be taken seriously and will not be pursued through a fair investigation."
According to the police, Mutombo violently resisted, hit and kicked and showed "strong resistance" before collapsing, and after his death Thursday in hospital, the public prosecutor received the body for an autopsy.
The police are also investigating the officers involved, according to local media.
In May 2020, US police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of the 46-year-old Floyd with his full body weight for about 9 and a half minutes.
The killing of Floyd, who is of African descent, has sparked widespread resonance and huge protests within the United States and around the world, to denounce police brutality against African descent, and demand the need to reform it.