The World Uyghur Congress and the Uyghur Human Rights Project are launching a criminal case in the courts of Argentina in relation to the international crimes of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity being committed against the Uyghur people.

They need your support for this ground-breaking case!

What's currently happening to the Uyghurs?

There is strong evidence from a number of sources that the Chinese authorities are committing crimes against humanity and genocide against the Uyghur population and other mostly Muslim Turkic ethnic groups in the north-western region.

Human rights groups believe China has detained more than one million Uyghurs against their will over the past few years in a large network of what the state calls "re-education camps” and has sentenced hundreds of thousands to arbitrary prison terms despite there being no evidence that they have committed any crimes. There is also evidence that Uyghurs are being used as forced labour and of Uyghur women are being forcibly sterilised or subjected to abortions. Former camp detainees state that they were tortured and sexually abused. Uyghur children are being removed from their parents and forbidden from learning the Uyghur language.

Numerous Parliaments around the world have held that genocide is taking place against the Uyghurs but despite this the intense repression of the Uyghurs continues.

Why is the case being launched in Argentina?

The case is being launched in Argentina for the practical reason that under Article 118 of the Argentina constitution, the criminal courts of Argentina can investigate and try international crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity. The provision also means that there does not need to be any connection to Argentina or have Argentinean perpetrators/victims for jurisdiction to be applicable.

This provision has thus been used to investigate crimes against humanity and possible genocide committed by Francisco Franco in Spain, the Falun Gong movement in China and the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar in 2021.

Recently, the Argentinian appeal court ordered an investigation (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/29/argentina-court-myanmar-war-crimes-rohingya) into the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people.

Thus, there is precedent for using Argentina to base cases of this kind within.

What is the Process before the Argentinean courts?

From the submission to the Argentinean courts, there is a series of steps which could follow. Firstly, is the submission of the complaint will be issued to one of twelve federal judges in the City of Buenos Aires. This will take place on 17 August 2022.

The judge will then carry out a preliminary investigation assisted by a prosecutor. They will then decide whether to open the case. Given the strong evidence of international crimes being committed against the Uyghurs by the Chinese authorities, we expect that a case will be opened.

If an investigation is opened, this will be a historic moment for the Uyghur people in their fight against the repression of their people as an objective judge will carry out an intensive investigation into the situation in the Uyghur Region and the international crimes being committed against the Uyghurs because of their religion and ethnicity. Further, evidence will be submitted to be considered by the Court and the witness may be asked to give evidence to the Court in the criminal proceedings, the first time that this has happened!!

We need you!

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) have assembled a top team of international and Argentinian lawyers who have experience in seeking justice for those subject to the most horrendous crimes around the world. Funding will also be needed to bring witness to Argentina.

Please donate and be a part of this historical case.

Further Information 

Further information can be found at www.justiceabroad.co.uk/UyghurCase