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World Uyghur Congress (WUC) President Dolkun Isa renewed calls for justice and accountability for China's ongoing persecution of Uyghurs on Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day 2025, describing the movement's four-year campaign for recognition as a turning point in raising global awareness of China's atrocities.
Speaking at a press conference in London, Isa recalled the tense moments of December 9, 2021, when the independent Uyghur Tribunal, chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice, declared that the Chinese government had committed genocide, torture, and crimes against humanity against Uyghur and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan. "That judgment changed our history," Isa said. "It did not erase the suffering, but it broke the silence and ensured our pain was no longer ignored." Isa explained that the WUC established the People's Tribunal in 2020 after traditional international legal mechanisms, such as the ICC and the ICJ, proved inaccessible. Despite limited funding, reliance on volunteers, and intimidation of witnesses by Chinese authorities, the Tribunal's findings held firm. He accused China of attempting to discredit the process through smear campaigns targeting witnesses, researchers, and the WUC itself. The Tribunal's verdict, Isa said, became a foundation for legal and political momentum. Ten parliaments, including Canada, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and the European Parliament, have officially recognised the Uyghur genocide. Its conclusions also helped influence the UN Human Rights Office's 2022 report, which stated that China's actions "may constitute international crimes, particularly crimes against humanity." Isa highlighted a series of ongoing international legal actions inspired by the Tribunal's findings. The WUC and the Global Legal Action Network won an appeal in the United Kingdom against government inaction on imports linked to forced labour. Additional cases have been filed in Argentina, France, and Spain against Chinese companies Huawei, Dahua, and Hikvision, while the Australian Uyghur Tenghritagh Women's Association has sued Hmart for importing goods tied to forced labour. "The Uyghur Tribunal did more than expose China's crimes; it changed the global conversation," Isa concluded. (ANI)
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