U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern Calls for Forceful International Response Following Minneapolis Shootings

WASHINGTON-Today, U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and top Democrat on the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, released the following statement encouraging global human rights leaders to continue forcefully speaking out about the death of Alex Pretti at the hands of U.S. government agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota:

"This weekend in Minneapolis, the United States government shot and killed Alex Pretti-an ICU nurse with no prior criminal history who was observing and documenting an interaction between federal officers and local residents. His last act was taking care of a woman who had been pushed to the ground by federal agents. Alarmingly, the agents who shot Mr. Pretti have not been put on leave, and it is unclear whether a thorough and transparent investigation will take place-signaling that federal officers would be acting with impunity, and denying Mr. Pretti's family access to justice or appropriate reparations.

"To be clear, Mr. Pretti was legally and peacefully exercising both his First and Second Amendment rights under the United States Constitution. He was working to promote and protect human rights while taking actions that are specifically protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights-the latter of which is the Supreme Law of the Land under Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution.

"As Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, named in honor of the only Holocaust survivor to ever serve in Congress, I call on governments and human rights leaders around the world to continue speaking out and sounding the alarm about what is going on in the United States. I call upon all relevant UN bodies, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and global human rights organizations and defenders to forcefully condemn Mr. Pretti's death and demand an immediate and impartial investigation.

"I appreciate UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor, who correctly characterized Mr. Pretti as someone actively engaged in human rights defense-documenting alleged violations and assisting people who are subjected to them. I also welcome UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk's statement that the United States must ensure that its migration policies and enforcement practices respect human dignity and due process rights.

"The United States should welcome such scrutiny-any government that claims legitimacy must be willing to be judged by the same standards it invokes against others. The world is watching what we do now: whether we defend the right to document state power, whether we protect dissent, and whether we hold our government accountable for unlawful actions. If America wants to stand for human rights again, we must start by telling the truth-and by making clear that no badge, no agency, and no president is above the law."