European Parliament Study Details China's Campaign of Intimidation Against Uyghurs Abroad

BRUSSELS — Chinese authorities have used threats against family members, digital surveillance and intimidation to pressure Uyghur activists and journalists living abroad, according to a study commissioned by the European Parliament that also found serious gaps in European protections for people targeted by foreign governments.

The study, published in June 2025, examines how governments pursue critics beyond their borders, a practice known as transnational repression. It identifies China as a major perpetrator and documents how Uyghurs, Tibetans and Hong Kong activists have faced harassment and intimidation even after leaving China.

One method described in the study involves Chinese authorities contacting Uyghur journalists and human rights defenders through video calls, sometimes with their relatives present. The calls are used to pressure them into abandoning their work or providing information about other activists abroad.

For Uyghur journalists and activists whose families remain in the Uyghur region, such threats create a difficult choice. Continuing to speak publicly about abuses may expose their relatives to pressure, while remaining silent allows Chinese authorities to restrict their activities even when they live thousands of miles away.

The study draws on earlier research, including a 2020 Amnesty International investigation documenting how Chinese authorities used relatives to pressure Uyghurs living overseas.

In one case documented by Amnesty International, Ismayil Osman, a Uyghur living in the Netherlands, said Chinese police had pressured his brother in the Uyghur region to arrange a telephone conversation.

“They took over the phone call and told me that I had to provide information [to spy] on other Uyghurs in the Netherlands. Otherwise they would take [away] my brother,” Osman told Amnesty International.

The account illustrates how threats against relatives can be used to compel people living abroad to cooperate with Chinese authorities.

Suspected Chinese Espionage in Sweden

The European Parliament study cites an April 2025 case in Sweden, where authorities arrested a Uyghur man suspected of spying on members of the Uyghur community on behalf of Chinese intelligence services.

According to the study, the case illustrates how foreign governments may seek information about exiled communities through individuals living among them.

Sweden is among several European countries that have introduced legal measures against espionage targeting refugees and political exiles. The Netherlands has also expanded legislation addressing espionage conducted on behalf of foreign governments.

But the researchers found that national responses across Europe remained inconsistent, leaving people targeted by foreign governments without reliable protection.

The study also examines digital surveillance, online harassment and the misuse of international law enforcement mechanisms, including Interpol Red Notices, to pursue political opponents abroad.

Such tactics can restrict the ability of journalists and human rights defenders to travel, communicate with sources and participate in public activities.

Pressure Through Family Members

The researchers identify coercion through family members as one of the methods used by Chinese authorities against Uyghurs abroad.

In another case documented by Amnesty International, Erkin, a Uyghur living in the United States whose name was changed to protect his identity, said Chinese security agents contacted him through WhatsApp.

The agents sent him a video of his father asking him to cooperate. According to Amnesty, they offered to help his parents obtain passports and leave China if he complied.

Erkin stopped responding to the agents after two days. He told Amnesty International that he still had no information about his family.

“I still have no information about all my family members and relatives,” he said.

The use of family members to exert pressure allows Chinese authorities to influence people living outside China's jurisdiction without necessarily confronting them directly.

For journalists, such threats can interfere with reporting. Maintaining contact with sources, interviewing witnesses and publishing information about human rights abuses may become more difficult when relatives face possible retaliation.

Gaps in European Protection

Although European governments have increasingly recognized transnational repression as a security concern, the European Parliament study argues that they have paid insufficient attention to its consequences for the rights and personal safety of those targeted.

The researchers found that existing European Union programs, including ProtectDefenders.eu, lacked adequate guidance and resources specifically designed for human rights defenders living in exile.

The study recommends stronger coordination among EU governments, better training for law enforcement agencies and more accessible legal, psychological and immigration support for those facing threats.

It also calls for expanding the EU's human rights sanctions framework to address serious cases of transnational repression and establishing a system to document such incidents across member states.

The study was prepared by researchers Saipira Furstenberg, Marcus Michaelsen and Siena Anstis at the request of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights. Its findings represent the authors' research rather than an official position of the Parliament.

For Uyghur journalists and activists in exile, the central problem documented by the researchers remains the ability of Chinese authorities to exert pressure through relatives who are still within their reach.

The study warns that without stronger protections in host countries, journalists and human rights defenders may continue to face intimidation despite living beyond China's borders.