European Parliament Calls for Unconditional Release of Uyghur Residents in New Resolution

China’s ongoing repression of the activists who remain critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been a major concern for human rights bodies, like-minded governments, and human rights activists across the globe.
On Thursday, the members of the European Parliament (EP) in a session at Strasbourg raised concerns over the unjust imprisonment of Uyghur activists in mainland China.

The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) also adopted a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Ilham Tohti, the 2019 Sakharov Prize laureate, and Gulshan Abbas, as well as all those arbitrarily detained in China.

The MEPs of the parliament condemned the human rights violations against Uyghurs and people in Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. The resolution adopted by the EP demands that all internment camps be closed and denounces abusive policies, intense surveillance, forced labour, sterilisation, birth prevention measures and the destruction of the Uyghur identity, which amount to crimes against humanity and constitute a serious risk of genocide.

Additionally, the EP also called upon the EU and member states to adopt additional sanctions against high-ranking officials and entities involved in human rights violations in China, address transnational repression of Chinese dissidents and Uyghurs, and prosecute the individuals responsible. The resolution was adopted by 540 votes for, 23 against, and 47 abstentions.

The EP, in its statement, lamented China for the detention of 62-year-old retired doctor Gulshan Abbas, who “is serving a 20-year sentence on fallacious terrorism-related charges relating to activities of her sister, a defender of the human rights of persecuted Uyghurs in the PRC.”

Moreover, the resolution also expressed regret that Uyghur economist Ilham Tohti, winner of the EP’s 2019 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of ‘separatism’ despite striving to “foster dialogue between Uyghurs and Han Chinese.”

This resolution reflects a growing global consensus and the mounting diplomatic pressure on China to release all wrongfully imprisoned individuals in the Uyghur region, like my mother Ziba Murat, daughter of detained Uyghur Gulshan Abbas. Reportedly, Abbas has been arbitrarily detained since 2018 and held incommunicado most of that time.

The EP also stated that such acts reflect the PRC authorities’ systemic repression of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), where Uyghurs are arbitrarily detained in internment camps and forced to renounce their ethnic identity and religious beliefs.

The European Parliament also expressed regrets over the PRC’s lack of commitment to the Human Rights Dialogue and the absence of results.

The EP also called upon member states and the international community to suspend extradition treaties with the PRC and Hong Kong, respect the non-refoulment principle and implement the OHCHR report. It also urged member states to address the transnational repression of Chinese dissidents and Uyghurs on their territory and prosecute individuals responsible for such acts in their jurisdiction.

(Inputs from ANI)

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