People’s Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Xi Jinping Over Crimes Against Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Taiwanese

In a bold move that has drawn international attention, a citizens’ tribunal known as the Court of the Citizens of the World has issued a symbolic arrest warrant for Chinese President Xi Jinping. This nonbinding verdict was announced on July 12, following four days of hearings in The Hague, Netherlands, where the court is based. The tribunal found Xi Jinping guilty of crimes of aggression against Taiwan, crimes against humanity in Tibet, and genocide against Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

The Court of the Citizens of the World is a "people’s court" dedicated to upholding universal human rights. Its panel included notable figures such as Stephen Rapp, former U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues; Zak Yacoob, a retired judge from South Africa’s Constitutional Court; and Bhavani Fonseka, a constitutional lawyer and human rights activist from Sri Lanka. The hearings featured testimonies from expert witnesses and victims, who provided harrowing accounts of widespread human rights abuses.

In Tibet and Xinjiang, witnesses described a grim reality of intrusive surveillance, repression, torture, and severe restrictions on free expression and movement. They detailed efforts by the Chinese government to obliterate the distinct cultural and religious identities of the Uyghur and Tibetan people. Survivors of mass detention camps in Xinjiang spoke of torture and the forced sterilization of Uyghur women.

One of the survivors, Gulbahar Haitiwaji, now living in France, testified about her experiences in the internment camps. She recounted being chained to beds and tortured, and expressed her relief at finally having the opportunity to testify. "Back then, while in the camp, I often wondered if there was any justice in the world capable of punishing those responsible for our people's suffering," she told Radio Free Asia.

Despite being an unofficial body with no legal authority, the tribunal's proceedings have highlighted the severe plight of the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Taiwanese under Chinese rule. The court claimed it had "sufficient legal grounds" to issue an arrest warrant for Xi Jinping and called on the international community to support its decision. The verdict was reported by JURIST, a nonprofit news organization focusing on rule-of-law issues worldwide, which underscored the significance of the tribunal's findings.

The Chinese government has yet to respond to the tribunal's verdict. However, it has been noted that Chinese authorities tried to dissuade Uyghur witnesses from testifying in The Hague. Abdurehim Gheni, a Uyghur activist based in the Netherlands, recounted how Chinese police contacted him through a banned communication app, urging him not to attend the hearing.

Former Tibetan political prisoners also gave testimonies, including Dhondup Wangchen and Tenpa Dhargye, who described the torture they endured in Chinese jails. Tibetan filmmaker and human rights activist Jigme Gyatso, also known as Golog Jigme, highlighted the systematic torture and persecution of political prisoners in Tibet. He emphasized Xi Jinping's efforts to eradicate Tibetan language and culture.

Abduweli Ayup, a Uyghur rights activist and researcher based in Norway, hailed the tribunal's verdict as a significant step in stopping the Uyghur genocide. He emphasized that the court's judgment implicated Xi Jinping directly and called for his arrest and punishment.

This is not the first time a citizens’ tribunal has issued such a verdict. In December 2021, an independent Uyghur Tribunal in London also found China guilty of genocide against Uyghurs, attributing primary responsibility to Xi Jinping. While these panels lack state backing or the power to enforce sanctions, their conclusions add to the mounting evidence of Beijing’s human rights violations.

The Court of the Citizens of the World has previously issued an indictment against Russian President Vladimir Putin for crimes of aggression in Ukraine. This case, along with the recent verdict against Xi Jinping, exemplifies the tribunal's commitment to addressing global human rights abuses, despite its limited legal authority.

As the international community digests the tribunal's findings, the symbolic arrest warrant for Xi Jinping stands as a powerful statement against the ongoing human rights violations in China. Whether this will prompt any tangible action from world governments remains to be seen, but the tribunal has undeniably brought significant attention to the plight of the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Taiwanese.