The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) says a growing international response is emerging to transnational repression, corporate complicity, and intensified assimilation policies targeting Uyghurs and other minorities under Chinese law.
In its latest weekly brief, the WUC cited a joint April 27, 2026 investigation by Citizen Lab and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) that identified state-aligned actors allegedly conducting phishing, impersonation and malware campaigns aimed at journalists and diaspora communities. The WUC reported that some of its own organisations were among those targeted.
Citizen Lab’s reporting documented that in July 2025 a WUC leader received a phishing email that impersonated a supportive European parliamentarian via a fake event invitation designed to capture login credentials. Around the same time, a separate malicious message posing as correspondence from a human rights researcher contained a link to malware intended to compromise devices, the brief said. The incidents were cited as examples of ongoing digital transnational repression against Uyghur advocacy groups abroad.
The brief also highlighted legal and political developments in the United States and Europe. On April 28, 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court heard Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe I, a case over whether a U.S. technology company can be held liable for allegedly aiding Chinese state surveillance and persecutions of religious and ethnic minorities. The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) and partner groups filed an amicus brief supporting plaintiffs who allege that Cisco designed surveillance technologies that facilitated abuses, including torture. The WUC said the outcome could have significant implications for corporate accountability in international human rights cases.
In Europe, the WUC noted that the European Parliament on April 30, 2026 adopted a resolution condemning China’s Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress. The Parliament warned the law deepens repression and forced assimilation of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongolians, Hui and other minorities, criticizing its emphasis on Mandarin, restrictions on cultural and religious freedoms, and extraterritorial provisions that may affect those living abroad. The resolution urged China to repeal the law, called on the EU to consider sanctions against responsible officials and entities, and cautioned that implementation could damage EU–China relations.
WUC delegates participated in the parliamentary process and met with MEP Engin Eroglu, chair of the European Parliament’s China Delegation, after conducting two rounds of advocacy missions to Brussels and Strasbourg ahead of the vote.
The WUC brief frames these developments—cyber targeting, litigation over corporate responsibility, and parliamentary action—as part of a widening international pushback against policies and practices that advocacy groups say threaten the rights and safety of Uyghurs and other minorities. This article reproduces reporting from a syndicated feed and is published as received.
