Several associations announced this Wednesday, May 17, to see a new complaint filed, after a first classification, targeting clothing giants such as Uniqlo and Inditex, which they accuse of having profited from the forced labor of the Uighurs in China.
The Sherpa anti-corruption association, the Ethics on Etiquette collective, the Uighur Institute of Europe (IODE) and a Uighur who was interned in Xinjiang province, in north-west China, are targeting the offenses of concealment of four crimes: crimes against humanity, genocide, aggravated servitude and organized trafficking in human beings.
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This complaint with civil action, filed on Tuesday, should make it possible to obtain the appointment of an investigating judge.
A first complaint closed without follow-up
The plaintiffs want to uncover “the possible responsibilities of the clothing multinationals who profit from the forced labor of the Uighurs for the manufacture of their products”ensuring that“one in five cotton garments could be tainted by Uighur forced labor”.
In April, the crimes against humanity unit of the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) closed a preliminary investigation opened in June 2021 after a first complaint, prompting “misunderstanding” complainants.
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They accused Uniqlo France (owned by the Japanese group Fast Retailing), Inditex (which owns the brands Zara, Bershka, Massimo Duti), SMCP (Sandro, Maje, de Fursac, etc.) and the shoemaker Skechers of marketing products made entirely or partly in factories where Uighurs are subjected, according to these associations, to forced labor.
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Their number is sometimes estimated at more than a million.
Insufficient controls with their subcontractors
The plaintiffs also believe that these companies do not justify sufficient checks on their subcontractors.
Their lawyer, Maître William Bourdon hopes “recognition of competence” French justice “on the basis of concealment of crimes against humanity. »
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“Textile companies will be held accountable for having knowingly enriched themselves, at the cost of the most serious international crimes, against a facade of ethical communication”he added.
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Nike, Adidas and Shein also charged
At the time of the first complaint, the four groups had contested any use of forced labour. In addition to these four names, other major groups (Nike, Adidas, Shein, etc.) are targeted by comparable charges.
Washington and several countries are talking about a “genocide” against the Uighur Muslim minority and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights refers to crimes against humanity.
These accusations are rejected by Beijing, which presents the re-education centers denounced by Westerners as vocational training centers intended to combat religious extremism and ensure social stability.
