European Parliament members urge ICC to open probe into China's Uyghurs genocide | World News

As many as 38 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have co-signed a letter to Worldwide Prison Court docket (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan KC, urging him to open an investigation into crimes dedicated by Chinese language officers in opposition to Uyghur and Turkic individuals, mentioned the East Turkistan Authorities in Exile.

Uyghurs are being focused and rounded up from nations reminiscent of Tajikistan and introduced again to China the place they face atrocities reminiscent of pressured labour, torture and compelled sterilisation. The ICC has jurisdiction to research as a result of these crimes began in its territory, like Tajikistan, and proceed into China, the East Turkistan Authorities in Exile mentioned.

The MEPs have despatched the letter following the latest report by the UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, which concluded that these acts "might represent crimes in opposition to humanity."

The MEPs’ letter references an preliminary Article 15 Grievance, filed by representatives of the East Turkistan Authorities in Exile, the East Turkistan Nationwide Awakening Motion, and all Uyghur victims in July 2020. Since then, the ICC Workplace of the Prosecutor (OTP) has acquired three additional submissions of compelling proof of Chinese language atrocities in opposition to the Uyghur individuals.

The letter claims that no less than 90 per cent of Uyghurs dwelling in Tajikistan have been both bodily or emotionally coerced again to China by Chinese language officers. As soon as in China they're by no means heard from once more and, as quite a few stories have proven, they're subjected to appalling cruelties and ill-treatment. This contains brutal interrogations and torture; pressured labour; and compelled medical procedures.

The Uyghurs are subsequently, as discovered by the MEPs, at critical danger of genocide.

Though China will not be itself an ICC member state, the proof exhibits that crimes are being dedicated by Chinese language officers inside ICC state territory, reminiscent of Tajikistan and subsequently the ICC has jurisdiction to research the entire crime, it added.

The MEPs write, "It's changing into more and more troublesome and irresponsible for these of us in elected positions to disregard this proof... We hope that you'll open this investigation urgently to pursue justice for the numerous victims and deter additional atrocities being dedicated in opposition to Uyghurs."

"We welcome the EU Members of Parliament letter urging the Worldwide Prison Court docket to swiftly launch an investigation into China's ongoing genocide of Uyghurs and different Turkic peoples in Occupied East Turkistan," mentioned Prime Minister Salih Hudayar of the East Turkistan Authorities in Exile.

"We name on different governments, parliaments, and worldwide organizations to observe go well with as time is working out for Uyghurs and China have to be held accountable earlier than it's too late," he added.