Despite China’s rejection of the European Union’s calls to stop alleged human rights violations in the country, the EU expressed deep concern about what it described as an extremely serious situation.
In a statement followed by Shia Waves Agency, the European Union stated that it “is concerned about the dire human rights situation in China, especially in Tibet, Hong Kong, and for Muslims in Xinjiang.”
The statement continued that “this serious situation includes a crackdown on human rights defenders, lawyers, and journalists in the country.”
The European Union urged China to “investigate any human rights violations” and expressed concern “about cases of illegal detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and ill-treatment of a large number of citizens.”
The EU also raised the case of the detained Swedish citizen Gui Minhai as well as the imprisoned Uyghur intellectuals Ilham Tohti, Gulshan Abbas and Rahile Dawut, the EU statement said.
For years, the Xinjiang region has been under a siege imposed by Chinese authorities targeting Muslims, who have been subjected to severe repression, torture, and significant human rights violations.
