The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has warned this Thursday about the "instrumentalization" of recent attacks recorded in the United Kingdom, perpetrated by foreign attackers, to "incite hatred and violence" against ethnic minorities.
"I am appalled by the violence that has erupted in various parts of the United Kingdom in recent days, following a brutal attack in Belfast on Monday and the dissemination of bodycam footage related to the attack that occurred in Southampton in December 2025," Turk stated, referring to the events that have shocked the country, after the attempted beheading in Belfast by a 30-year-old Sudanese man this Monday, which has triggered racist protests and serious riots over the last two nights.
The head of the UN Human Rights Office conveys his "deep solidarity with all victims, as well as their families and communities" and emphasizes that it is "fundamental" to ensure accountability for what happened.
At the same time, he denounces that, following these attacks that have impacted public opinion, "various actors" "have instrumentalized these attacks and have promoted divisive discourse against communities based on race and ethnicity to incite hatred and violence."
"The search for scapegoats and dehumanization are totally unacceptable. Violence against people, the burning of homes, damage to property, and intimidation directed against these groups are deplorable," he stressed.
In this regard, Turk underlines the obligation of "politicians and leaders" to "refrain from promoting discourse that fuels tensions or stigmatizes communities." "Social media platform providers must also take their own human rights responsibilities regarding hate speech and incitement to violence seriously," he added.
The racist incidents have erupted following the stabbing attack by a 30-year-old Sudanese man, identified as Hadi Alodid, against Steven Ogilvy, a British man in his 40s and an employee of the public health service (NHS), last Monday, an extremely violent assault whose recording has gone viral in the United Kingdom and has caused a wave of indignation.
This episode is added to that of the young British-Polish man Henry Nowak, who died in December 2025 after being stabbed with a shastar knife -- a weapon used in Sikh ceremonies -- by Vickrum Digwa, sentenced to life imprisonment for these acts. The case gained public relevance after the video from a police camera was released, in which the victim is seen handcuffed and dying on the ground after the confrontation, a few hours before dying from the wounds caused by the bladed weapon.