CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2025, 3:00 PM EST
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
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https://campaignforuyghurs.org/
CFU Marks Fourth Anniversary of Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day and Calls for Renewed Global Action
Washington, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) marks the fourth anniversary of Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day and the 77th anniversary of the Genocide Convention’s adoption. On December 9, 2021, the independent Uyghur Tribunal, chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice, determined that the crimes carried out against the Uyghur people meet the legal definition of genocide. The Tribunal was established at the request of the World Uyghur Congress and held three public hearings before reaching its judgment. These sessions included testimony from survivors, witnesses, researchers, legal experts, and one former Chinese police officer who spoke about his role in abuses. The panel based its conclusion on extensive public evidence and detailed reasoning.
Since that determination, research has strengthened the record documenting the Chinese Communist Party’s abuses. Authorities have imposed more than 4.4 million cumulative years of prison sentences on Uyghurs. According to leading China scholar Dr. Adrian Zenz, in 2023 alone, they carried out 3.2 million forced labor transfers, moving Uyghurs into factories across China. Hundreds of Uyghur villages have been renamed to strip away cultural, historical, and religious meaning. Surveillance, harassment of families, and the erasure of Uyghur identity continue without relief. Uyghurs in the diaspora also face pressure through transnational repression designed to silence advocacy and isolate communities living abroad.
Reflecting on the day, Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, said: “The evidence is clear and has been clear for years. The Tribunal set the record before the world, and each year since then has brought more proof of genocide. Uyghur families remain separated, including my own sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, who is still unjustly imprisoned. Communities face forced labor, and a whole people continues to endure targeted destruction. The Genocide Convention places obligations on states. Those obligations demand action. Governments must respond with measures that reflect the gravity of what is happening.”
CFU stands with the Uyghur people and urges all nations to uphold the purpose of the Genocide Convention. The ongoing atrocities in East Turkistan demand decisive action that protects victims, holds perpetrators accountable, and ensures that recognition is matched by responsibility. The international community must meet this moment with clarity, courage, and concrete steps toward justice.
