British authorities must reconsider whether to open an investigation into imports of cotton allegedly produced by slave labor in the Chinese region of Xinjiang, a London court ruled on Thursday, allowing an appeal by a Uyghur rights group.
The World Uyghur Congress, an international organization of exiled Uyghur groups, took legal action against Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) after it declined to begin a criminal investigation.
Rights groups and the US government accuse China of widespread abuses of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the western region of Xinjiang, from where the vast majority of Chinese-produced cotton emanates.
Beijing vigorously denies any abuses and its embassy in Washington has previously described allegations of forced labor as “nothing but a lie concocted by the US side in an attempt to wantonly suppress Chinese enterprises.”
“The Chinese government has made it very clear that the allegation of ‘forced labor’ in Xinjiang is nothing but an enormous lie propagated by anti-China elements to smear China,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said.
In its legal action, the World Uyghur Congress argued that the NCA wrongly failed to investigate whether cotton from Xinjiang amounts to “criminal property.”
Last year, a judge at London’s High Court ruled there was “clear and undisputed evidence of instances of cotton being manufactured ... by the use of detained and prison labor as well as by forced labor.”
But the legal challenge was dismissed on the grounds that the British authorities’ approach to the law — which was that there has to be a clear link between alleged criminality and a specific product — was correct.
The Court of Appeal overturned that decision, ruling that “the question of whether to carry out an investigation ... will be remitted to the NCA for reconsideration.”
Rahima Mahmut, UK Director of the World Uyghur Congress, described the ruling as “a monumental victory and a moral triumph.”
“This win represents a measure of justice for those Uyghurs and other Turkic people who have been tortured and subjected to slave labor,” Mahmut said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the NCA said: “We respectfully note the judgment of the Court of Appeal and are considering our next steps.”
Uyghur group wins appeal over UK investigation into ‘slave labor’ cotton
https://arab.news/nayp2
Uyghur group wins appeal over UK investigation into ‘slave labor’ cotton
- The World Uyghur Congress took legal action against Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) after it declined to begin a criminal investigation
- Rahima Mahmut: ‘This win represents a measure of justice for those Uyghurs and other Turkic people who have been tortured and subjected to slave labor’
India rolls out strictest anti-pollution curbs as toxic smog engulfs Delhi
- Private monitors in several parts of northern Delhi recorded AQI spikes between 550 and 700s
- Authorities invoked stage four of the capital region’s emergency pollution-control framework
NEW DELHI: India’s capital choked under a thick blanket of smog on Sunday, with the government imposing anti-pollution curbs after monitoring stations in some areas recorded extremely hazardous air quality.
Home to 30 million people, Delhi has not recorded a single “clean air” day in 2025, with Air Quality Index readings hitting high above the 50 score throughout the year.
On the AQI scale from 0 to 500, good air quality is represented by levels below 50, while levels above 300 are dangerous.
Worsening since late October, official records over the weekend were in the severe to severe-plus range of 400–500, but as 24-hour averages, they did not capture the peaks. Private monitors in several parts of North and North West Delhi recorded AQI spikes above 550 and even into the 700s in real-time.
On Saturday evening, the Ministry of Environment’s Commission for Air Quality Management invoked stage four — the highest level — of the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and surrounding areas.
To “prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region,” the commission suspended all non-essential construction, shut stone crushers and mining operations, stopped entry of trucks into the capital region, and ordered schools to shift to hybrid classes or online, where possible.
While authorities blamed the pollution on “adverse meteorological conditions,” residents have been demanding more government action.
“The situation is so bad in Delhi that we don’t have any option but to force kids to do online classes. The government has failed us; it has not done anything to address the issue,” said Nabanita Nayak, who decided for her teenage children to attend school online only, despite concerns over their screen addiction.
“If the kids are too much in front of laptops, that’s also an issue. As a mother, I am worried.”
Delhi’s pollution has been worsening since Diwali in late October, when the average AQI has been above 370, or “very poor.” Since mid-November, it has been over 400, which means “severe” air quality, with certain areas recording 500 and above, which is classified as a “hazardous” level.
“I don’t feel proud living in Delhi. It’s the capital city of the country … We talk about being a developed nation by 2047 — we have deadlines,” said Jagriti Arora, who is keeping her 7-year-old daughter at home to prevent allergy flare-ups caused by air pollution.
“The government has to do something … China had a big problem with pollution, but now they’ve managed to bring it down.”
Delhi’s air quality deteriorates in winter due to local emissions and seasonal weather conditions. Cold temperatures and low wind speeds result in a temperature inversion, which traps pollutants close to the ground instead of letting them disperse. This allows emissions from millions of vehicles, ongoing construction, and nearby industrial activity to accumulate in the air. Urban waste burning and dust from construction sites further add to it.
“This is not a new thing. This has been happening now for over 10 years,” Arora said. “You can see it. You don’t need to actually look at an AQI meter to see how bad the pollution is these days.”
