New York
Argentina’s top criminal court has made a historic decision, allowing a case on genocide and crimes against humanity against Chinese officials to move forward. The case was filed by Uyghur victims and centers on abuses committed in China’s Xinjiang region.
The ruling, made on June 18 by Argentina’s Federal Court of Criminal Cassation, is being praised as a key step for international justice. Legal experts say the decision brings hope for Uyghur survivors and shines a spotlight on human rights violations in Xinjiang.
Uyghurs are a Turkic Muslim group mostly living in China’s Xinjiang region. Since 2017, China has detained hundreds of thousands in what it calls “vocational training centers,” but which rights groups describe as internment camps. Reports say detainees have faced torture, forced disappearances, gender violence, and cultural suppression.
China has also targeted Uyghurs abroad using unfair legal tactics. A 2022 UN report said these acts could amount to crimes against humanity. However, China blocked formal action at the UN.
Argentina’s court used the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows countries to try serious crimes like genocide regardless of where they occurred. This same legal idea helped try Chile’s dictator Pinochet and others for global crimes.
Argentina’s lower courts had earlier dismissed the Uyghur case, claiming Turkey was already investigating—a claim found false. The higher court ordered those judges replaced and the case to proceed under international law.
This opens the door for collecting evidence and possibly issuing arrest warrants for top Chinese officials, like Chen Quanguo. Though political ties with China may affect support, the ruling sets a global example for justice.Argentina’s lower courts had earlier dismissed the Uyghur case, claiming Turkey was already investigating—a claim found false. The higher court ordered those judges replaced and the case to proceed under international law.
This opens the door for collecting evidence and possibly issuing arrest warrants for top Chinese officials, like Chen Quanguo. Though political ties with China may affect support, the ruling sets a global example for justice.