Swedish prosecutors said on Wednesday (April 9) that they have requested the detention of a man suspected of spying for China (the CCP) to gather information on Uighurs.
The prosecution office refused to disclose more details of the case or whether it involves Uighurs living in Sweden or Uighur groups elsewhere. Court documents show that the man’s nationality has not been disclosed and he is currently being held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.
In a statement, the prosecutor said, “The individual is suspected of illegally collecting information and intelligence on the Uighur community on behalf of China (the CCP) intelligence agencies.”
The Chinese Embassy in Sweden stated in an email that they were unaware of the case.
Uighurs are predominantly a Muslim ethnic group with a population of around ten million residing in Xinjiang, the westernmost region of China. A landmark United Nations report in 2022 highlighted that China’s treatment of Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang, including “arbitrary and discriminatory detention,” could constitute crimes against humanity.
Previously in February, the Thai government forcibly repatriated 40 Uighurs to China, sparking international condemnation. On March 18, Human Rights Watch issued a statement urging the Thai government to pressure China to allow unrestricted access to these 40 Uighurs so their situation can be accurately reported.
(Reference: Reuters)