Washington, DC….The United States condemns the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) baseless sanctions on two U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF ) commissioners apparently in retaliation for U.S. sanctions on PRC officials connected with serious human rights abuse in Xinjiang.  This comes after the PRC’s January sanctions on 28 U.S. officials and July 2020 sanctions on U.S. officials and organizations promoting democracy and human rights around the world.

Beijing’s attempts to intimidate and silence those speaking out for human rights and fundamental freedoms only contribute to the growing international scrutiny of the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.  We stand in solidarity with Canada, the UK, the EU, and other partners and allies around the world in calling on the PRC to end the human rights violations and abuses against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang and to release those arbitrarily detained.