Munich [Germany], November 15 : The World Uyghur Congress (WUC), in its latest weekly brief, highlighted growing international concerns over China’s alleged transnational repression, the continued imprisonment and reported deaths of Uyghurs in detention, and renewed efforts by Uyghur communities and international lawmakers to seek accountability for human rights violations in East Turkistan.
According to the WUC weekly brief, Safeguard Defenders published a report on November 6 titled “A Formula for Repression: China’s Global Grid for Community Control”, documenting Beijing’s expanding overseas surveillance and control network targeting its diaspora. Based on open-source evidence from the Chinese Communist Party, the investigation identified nearly 1,250 designated liaison points across at least 91 countries.
The report highlighted how Chinese state-linked networks allegedly integrate police, prosecutors, courts and United Front operatives into diaspora associations to conduct intelligence gathering, coercion and harassment against Uyghurs, human rights defenders and other diaspora members. The brief also noted that 54 lawmakers from 26 countries participating in the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) Hague Summit called for six urgent measures to counter CCP foreign interference.
The weekly brief further highlighted the recognition of imprisoned Uyghur anthropologist Dr. Rahile Dawut, who received the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation’s Award for Courage on November 9 at the Freedom and Security Women Summit in the German Bundestag. WUC Executive Committee Chair Rushan Abbas accepted the award on her behalf and read a letter from her daughter, Akida Pulat. WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun also honoured Dawut and called for her release.
According to the brief, Dawut disappeared in December 2017 and was reported in September 2023 to be serving a life sentence on a state security charge, with her appeal rejected. Her current place of detention remains publicly unknown.
On November 10, the WUC, alongside Members of the European Parliament, hosted a discussion at the European Parliament in Brussels reflecting on a decade of persecution against Uyghurs. Speakers included Sir Geoffrey Nice, Ben Vanpeperstraete of Anti-Slavery International, Zhang Yabo and Abduweli Ayup, who shared their expertise, evidence and testimonies.
The event was co-hosted by MEPs Miriam Lexmann, Kathleen Van Brempt and Ilhan Kyuchyuk, with MEP Engin Eroglu also attending. The discussion underscored the need for meaningful international action and accountability amid continuing concerns over the Uyghur genocide.
The brief also referred to a Human Rights Watch article published on November 11 concerning the reported death of Rahile Omer, described as the youngest known Uyghur detainee in China’s concentration camps. Identified in the leaked 2022 Xinjiang Police Files, Omer reportedly died while serving a 12-year prison sentence.
According to the brief, Chinese authorities sentenced her in 2021 after she turned 18 for allegedly “disturbing social order”. An officer reportedly attributed her death to a heart condition, although no medical documentation was provided. The brief also highlighted allegations of torture, sexual violence, rape and forced sterilisation faced by Uyghur women in detention.
Marking another significant occasion, Uyghurs around the world celebrated East Turkistan National Day on November 12, commemorating the establishment of the two East Turkistan republics in 1933 and 1944. The WUC noted that the observance remains an important expression of Uyghur national identity, resilience and efforts to preserve their history, language, culture and traditions.
As part of Berlin Freedom Week, the WUC also organised a roundtable titled “Uyghur Rights Beyond China’s Borders: Transnational Repression in the Shadow of the Ethnic Unity Law”, followed by an East Turkistan National Day commemoration featuring live performances and traditional Uyghur food. Moderated by Mirjam Kobold, the discussion brought together Prof. Dr. Björn Alpermann, Tenzyn Zöchbauer, Amy Siu and UZDM President Dolkun Isa. The combined programme attracted nearly 100 participants.
Through these developments, the WUC weekly brief highlighted continuing international efforts to raise awareness about the situation of Uyghurs, counter transnational repression and push for accountability and the protection of fundamental human rights.