Argentinian court dismisses case against China over Uighur abuses
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The Federal Chamber of Argentina has halted an attempt to sue the People’s Republic of China in response to a lawsuit concerning abuses suffered by the Uyghur ethnic minority in China’s Xinjiang region.
The original case was brought by English lawyer Michael Polak on behalf of Lawyers for Uyghur Rights. It was also supported by Omer Kanat of the Uyghur Human Rights Project and Dolkun Isa of the World Uyghur Congress. The charge, initially filed in 2022, was rejected by Judge Sebastian Casanello on the grounds that it was already being dealt with in other jurisdictions. Despite an appeal, the court has upheld this decision.
The plaintiffs, represented by Argentine lawyers, accused China of genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Uighur minority, who live mainly in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China.
With this lawsuit, Argentina joined the list of countries involved in legal action against China, along with the United States, where Congress has played an important role in passing laws addressing forced labor and China’s Uyghur policy.
China has been accused of subjecting ethnic Uighurs to indoctrination, forced labor, and other human rights violations, including the detention of one million people in re-education camps. The accusations have been supported by governments, non-governmental organisations, and international media, who have even called the situation a ‘Uighur genocide’.
In response, China has defended its actions, arguing that they are directed against the East Turkestan Independence Movement, a group that the Chinese central government claims is linked to terrorism. Beijing has also accused the US of waging an ideological campaign against it. The dispute over the treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang remains one of the most sensitive issues in China’s international relations, along with Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
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Freno a un intento de juicio contra China en la Argentina – Página/12.