Canada sanctions Chinese, Russians over human rights violations

Canada on Tuesday announced new sanctions against Russian individuals and former or current senior Chinese officials for human rights violations.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly "announced sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (People's Republic of China) Regulations against 8 former or current senior officials involved in grave human rights violations in the country."

She said the sanctions were in response to "Chinese government-led repression of ethnic and religious minorities in China, including in Xinjiang, Tibet and against those who practice Falun Gong."

"As we mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, Canada continues to condemn human rights violations around the world," said the statement, adding that Ottawa had a "deep" concern over reports in China indicating arbitrary detaining of "more than one million people in Xinjiang since 2017, many of whom were held in camps and faced psychological, physical and sexual violence."

Xinjiang is home to more than 10 million Uyghurs. The Turkic Muslim group, which makes up around 45% of the region's population, has long accused China of cultural, religious and economic discrimination. Beijing denies the charge.

"Canada continues to raise concerns regarding human rights violations in China and calls on the Chinese government to uphold its international human rights obligations, including through the United Nations Human Rights Council," the statement added.

In a separate statement, Joly also announced sanctions against "individuals who are involved in Russia's ongoing human rights violations since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and occupation of Crimea."

"The individuals sanctioned today are involved in the systematic and widespread use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment against detained Ukrainian citizens, including prisoners of war and civilians," it said.

Noting that those sanctioned are affiliates of Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), Federal Security Service (FSB) and the National Guard of Russia (Rosgvardia), the statement said: "Their direct involvement in the torture and death of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war in multiple penal colonies, including human rights activists, is well-documented."

Canada pledged its commitment to "expose and condemn human rights violations committed by Russian authorities and their local collaborators against Ukrainian citizens during Russia's illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as they continue to forcefully defend their rights and freedoms in the face of Russia's aggressive actions."