Fighting to see justice for their son, Michael Brown’s parents testified before the United Nations Committee Against Torture in Geneva.
“We came here to get justice for our son,” Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr., said at a news conference earlier today.
According to nbcnews.com, Lesley McFadden, Brown’s mother, was emotional during her testimony. Brown’s father said he wished he could have put himself between his son and the fatal bullets.
The controversial shooting that sparked outrage and protests here in the U.S. is also being watched by the international community.
“We also understand that what you decide here may save lives,” Brown Sr. told U.N. panelists, according to NBC station KSDK.
The committee is reviewing countries’ compliance with the international Convention Against Torture, and the U.S. has two days of testimony, according to nbcnews.com. The National Security Council said the American delegation’s intention was to underscore “that all U.S. personnel are legally prohibited under international and domestic law from engaging in torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment at all times, and in all places,” according to a statement released by the White House.
At some point this month, perhaps as early as this week, the grand jury is expected to make a decision on whether or not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting Michael Brown on Aug. 9. Protestors have requested a 48-hour early notice of the decision in hopes of preventing any violent response in the community. In St. Louis and Ferguson, where gun dealers have reported a large spike in gun purchases, there is considerable fear of what might happen if Wilson is allowed to go free, as many suspect will happen.
