(SeaPRwire) –   U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confronts a “crimes against humanity” allegation at the United Nations regarding the treatment of the Chagossian people, amidst rising tensions following an Iranian missile attempt targeting Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Starmer, named in the filing, is specifically accused of the removal of four individuals who had returned to the island, in a complaint submitted by the attorney general for the Chagossian government.

James Tumbridge’s filing also highlights the exiled leadership’s emphasis on strong ties with the United States, telling Digital that Washington is a “brother in arms for global security.”

On March 20, Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia from a distance of over 2,300 miles; while the attack missed, it underscored the strategic importance of the base.

Chagossian leaders have since endorsed a continued U.S. presence, with First Minister Misley Mandarin stating they wish to “uphold the 1966 agreement and consider the U.S. as a brother in arms for global security.”

The 1966 agreement permitted the U.S. to utilize Diego Garcia for defense purposes for an initial term of 50 years.

“The Chagossian government’s desire is to maintain a positive relationship with the U.S. and ensure the ongoing military presence on Diego Garcia,” Tumbridge also told Digital.

Meanwhile, Tumbridge’s U.N. submission claims British actions risk the “forced depopulation” of the Chagos Islands.

Expulsions began in 1968 with the removal of approximately 2,000 residents, culminating in 1973, and the U.K. recently issued new removal orders for four Chagossians who had returned to the islands in February.

The filing describes the situation as “forced displacement” that could constitute “a crime against humanity by forced depopulation of a territory.”

It warns the British government of a “fresh crime” that could complete a decades-long erasure of the Indigenous population, stating, “The removal of these four persons would result in the total physical erasure of the Chagossian people,” potentially “amounting to ethnic cleansing.”

“The BIOT commissioner acknowledged that the Chagossians were wronged in the past,” Tumbridge said Wednesday.

“How can the U.K. prime minister, who claims to value the rule of law and human rights, not wish to rectify that wrong and allow the people to return to their islands?”

The filing also arrives as the U.K. considers transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

This decision follows a 2019 International Court of Justice opinion, while aiming to preserve the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease.

President Donald Trump criticized the proposed handover, and the U.K. has since paused legislation to formalize the deal, with ministers stating it has become “impossible to agree at a political level.”

The legislation was expected to be included in the King’s speech outlining the agenda for the next parliamentary session.

Digital has reached out to 10 Downing Street for comment.