By Celani Sikhakhane
Zak Yacoob, a retired judge from South Africa’s Constitutional Court, recently joined the Court of the Citizens of the World in The Hague.
The “people’s court” found China and its leader, President Xi Jinping, guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity for their treatment of Uyghur Muslims and ethnic Tibetans.
Yacoob, former US ambassador Stephen J. Rapp, and Sri Lankan lawyer Bhavani Fonseka rendered the judgment last week.
The court’s judgments are not legally binding, but their findings will pressure governments to notice their conclusions.
China was accused in the court of acts of aggression in Taiwan, crimes against humanity in Tibet, and genocide against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
For Tibet, the court confirmed crimes against humanity, including forcing children to move, imprisonment, and persecution.
In Xinjiang, the court confirmed several counts, including genocide and crimes against humanity, such as torture, rape, sterilisation, and cultural suppression.
The judges found clear evidence that the goal was to destroy the Uyghur population over the past 11 years through detention camps and severe human rights violations.
The court did not find criminal acts against Taiwan but supported Taiwan’s right to self-determination. It said recent Chinese military actions could become illegal if they escalate further.
Yacoob told Scrolla.Africa although he is a communist, the Chinese government needed to be held accountable.
“I am supposed to be retired, but there’s an organisation called Citizens for Peace that is trying to publicise the atrocities of certain countries. So I appeared for free. They paid my expenses,” he said.
“We delivered the judgment hoping the International Court will take it seriously and act on it,” he said.
Writing for the Jurist News website, James Joseph commented: “This judgment provides hope that future international legal bodies might hold even the most powerful leaders accountable, thus protecting the rights of vulnerable communities worldwide.”
Pictured above: Bhavani Fonseca, Judge Zak Yacoob, and Stephen J Rapp at The Hague.
Source: Supplied
