The French Government Did Not Condemn China’s Violations Against the Uyghurs

Misbar’s team investigated the claim and found it fake. The French government did not condemn China’s behavior towards its Uyghur minority as genocide.

The Arabic version of France 24 TV Channel said on Thursday, Jan 20, that Franck Riester, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, made a statement on behalf of the French government. In the statement, Mr. Franck said that the Uyghur minority has been subject to systematic violence in the statement. He also added that there are “overwhelming testimonies” that point to this. However, he said that “terming their treatment genocide was a formal decision taken by international institutions.”

The claim was shared following a non-binding resolution by the National Assembly to officially recognize “the violence perpetrated by the People's Republic of China against the Uyghurs as constituting crimes against humanity and genocide.” The National Assembly called on the French government to follow suit.

In an interview with Mo Salah published on Jan. 11 by GQ magazine, the Egyptian national team and Liverpool F.C. player talked about the most difficult moments he experienced during his football career with the two teams. They referred to his crying after Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos dislocated his shoulder during the 2018 Champions League Liverpool vs. Real Madrid final. Mo said he also cried right before the match against Uruguay in the 2018 World Cup because he couldn’t play.

The resolution was “proposed by the opposition Socialists in the lower house of parliament but also backed by President Emmanuel Macron’s Republic on the Move (LREM) party.” Some 169 members voted in favor of the resolution, and only one voted against it.

Translated by Ahmed N. A. Almassri