China accused of targeting Uyghur activists in France

PARIS, France (MNTV) — Chinese authorities have sought to pressure two Uyghur activists living in France, including by attempting to recruit one of them to spy on Uyghur community members, according to new findings that underscore Beijing’s growing campaign of cross-border intimidation.

Human Rights Watch said Chinese officials contacted the activists in January in what rights groups describe as “transnational repression,” a term used for efforts by governments to silence critics and diaspora communities beyond their borders.

On Jan. 15, a man identifying himself as an official from Urumqi, capital of East Turkistan, known internationally as Xinjiang, called Abdurahman Tohti, 37, and attempted to persuade him to monitor activities within France’s Uyghur community. The same caller later contacted Mirkamel Tourghoun, 42, on Jan. 29 and urged him to abandon his activism.

Tohti said the caller asked him to report on events at the European Uyghur Institute in Paris, an organization focused on preserving Uyghur language and culture and advocating for rights of Uyghurs in exile. 

The institute was preparing to inaugurate its new headquarters days later. Its founder, academic Dilnur Reyhan, said Chinese diplomatic representatives had also pressured French officials not to attend the ceremony.

According to Tohti, the caller demonstrated detailed knowledge of his life in France and suggested he could facilitate contact with family members in East Turkistan. Tohti has lived in France under refugee status since 2022 and says he has not communicated with his relatives since 2016, when Chinese authorities intensified security operations in the region.

In 2025, Tohti said he learned that several close family members had received lengthy prison sentences on charges of “inciting ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination,” accusations rights groups say are frequently used to punish peaceful expression of Uyghur identity. He added that he still has no confirmed information about two of his children, whom he believes were placed in state-run institutions years ago.

Tourghoun, musician and filmmaker who sought asylum in France after earlier detention in East Turkistan, said the caller offered to ease political pressure and allow him to see his parents if he reconsidered his activism. He recorded the conversation and later published it online, saying he rejected the proposal.

The Chinese Embassy in Paris and French Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment, Human Rights Watch said.

France’s domestic intelligence agency warned in January 2025 that transnational repression poses national security risk and pledged stronger response. The United Nations human rights office and Group of Seven leaders have also called for coordinated action to counter such practices.

Rights advocates say the incidents illustrate how geopolitical tensions increasingly extend into European capitals, placing diaspora communities at the center of diplomatic friction between Beijing and Western governments.