Press Release – For immediate Release
02 October 2023
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
+49 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

On October 1, an article in the NZZ am Sonntag revealed that the Swiss Federal Council decided in December 2022 to reject the EU’s thematic sanctions against China. The EU issued sanctions in 2021 against four Chinese officials and a state paramilitary organization responsible for the genocide of the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan. Although the Swiss government’s decision was made almost a year ago, it has not communicated this decision to the public.

“The Swiss Federal Council has not only failed to take a clear position against the Uyghur genocide but also failed to communicate this serious decision transparently with the public,” says WUC President Dolkun Isa. “Switzerland once again shows that it is a safe haven for human rights criminals and thus makes itself their accomplice. Only through Switzerland’s close cooperation with the EU, can those responsible for the genocide of the Uyghur people be held accountable.”

International condemnation of the Chinese government’s genocide against the Uyghurs is growing. Indeed, last week UN special rapporteurs expressed grave concern over evidence of an increase in state-run boarding schools in East Turkistan that forcibly separate Uyghur children from their families and implement repressive language policies. The U.S. also blacklisted three other Chinese companies linked to Uyghur forced labor.

“While there are important international efforts to hold the Chinese government accountable, the Federal Council continues to rely on China for economic reasons. Switzerland must finally say goodbye to its business-as-usual strategy and take effective measures against the genocide of the Uyghurs. This must also be reflected in a new version of the Swiss-China strategy,” said WUC President Dolkun Isa.

The Swiss-Chinese human rights dialogue in July of this year further clearly demonstrated the influence of the Chinese government on Switzerland. A meeting with human rights organizations was cancelled at short notice following pressure from the Chinese government.