Experts denounce China for rights violations during the pandemic

Hundreds of organisations have endorsed an appeal and are requesting that the United Nations Council hold a special session on this matter

Under the premise that no state is above the law, 321 organisations – 39 of which opted for anonymity – came together in a letter published on Wednesday, 9 September to demand an inspection of human rights violations in China by international mechanisms.

The organisations decided to speak up following an investigation into human rights violations carried out by 50 United Nations specialists. 

In June, by means of the investigation, they called for human rights to be guaranteed in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang. The suppression of information in the Asiatic country in the pandemic drew their attention.

At that time, attacks on human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and critics of the Chinese government had been registered.

In the letter the undersigning organisations also list precedents of rights violations in the country and say they are outraged by China´s efforts to distort the mandate of the UN Human Rights Council, through cooperation rather than accountability. 

The organisations endorse the experts and await a special session to evaluate the situation and an impartial mechanism set up to analyse and report annually on rights violations committed in China. 

 

Read the full letter and see which organisations signed the letter