WATCH ABOVE: The parents of Ferguson teenager Michael Brown testified before the United Nations Committee Against Torture.
TORONTO – The parents of Michael Brown, a black teenager shot dead by police in Ferguson, Missouri, in August, testified at the United Nations in Geneva to seek justice for their son.
“We have come to the United Nations to take the world stage to talk about the life of Michael Brown and the dreadful way that he lost his life,” Darryl Parks, a lawyer representing the Brown family, told reporters outside of the U.N.
The U.N. Committee Against Torture is holding a panel looking at U.S government’s compliance with an anti-torture treaty, and a series of alleged violations since the 9/11 attacks.
“We came here to the U.N. to get justice for our son,” Michael Brown Sr. told reporters after the panel finished its first day of questioning. “There couldn’t be a better place to do that.”
READ MORE: U.S. teen’s autopsy shows close-range wound to hand, inconclusive on if he went for gun
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon also said on Tuesday the National Guard would be available in the event of further protests after a grand jury determines whether or not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the fatal shooting of the 18-year-old.
“The Brown family continue to call for non-violence. They continue to feel the Grand Jury will do the right thing,” Parks said.
The decision to indict Wilson will come at the end of month.
The police response to the protests drew widespread criticism as police wore riot gear and patrolled in armoured vehicles raising questions about the militarization of local police departments.
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