Swedish Court Detains Man Suspected of Spying on Uyghurs for China

A Swedish court detained a man suspected of spying on Uyghurs for China. The man allegedly gathered intelligence for the Chinese intelligence service. The case raises concerns of espionage amid accusations of China's human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. China's embassy is unaware of the incident.

A Swedish court on Wednesday detained a man under suspicion of espionage, relating specifically to the surveillance of ethnic Uyghurs for China, according to a statement from Sweden's prosecution authority.

Although few details about the case or the man's nationality were made public, court documents confirmed the suspect is currently in custody in Stockholm. Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist revealed the suspect allegedly gathered intelligence on Uyghurs at the behest of China's intelligence services. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Sweden stated it had no knowledge of the incident and refrained from further comment.

This development comes amid ongoing international scrutiny over China's treatment of its Uyghur population. Rights groups have long accused Beijing of various abuses against the predominantly Muslim minority group, prompting a 2022 UN report that identified potential crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. Beijing consistently denies these allegations and has accused Western nations of spreading falsehoods.

(With inputs from agencies.)