Fashion groups under French probe over forced Uyghur labour

French magistrates have opened an inquiry into the allegation that four fashion groups, including Uniqlo and the owner of Zara, have profited using forced labour of the Uyghur minority in China.

Vipin Vijayan

Paris, First Published Jul 2, 2021, 4:19 PM IST | Last Updated Jul 2, 2021, 4:19 PM IST

French magistrates have opened an inquiry into the allegation that four fashion groups, including Uniqlo and the owner of Zara, have profited using forced labour of the Uyghur minority in China.

According to sources, the magistrates at the national anti-terror prosecutor's office in Paris are probing claims that the companies are complicit in crimes against humanity, confirming a report by investigative website Mediapart.

The French case is based on a complaint lodged in April by the anti-corruption group Sherpa -- the French branch of the Clean Clothes Campaign -- along with the Uyghur Institute in Europe and a woman who was held in a camp in China.

Among the accused are Inditex, Uniqlo, French fashion group SMCP and Sketchers.

They have been accused of using cotton produced in the Xinjiang region.

Rights groups believe at least 1 million Uyghurs and other minorities have been held in camps in the Xinjiang region, where China has also been accused of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour.

China has rejected all allegations of abuse and has said that the policies in the region are in place to avoid counter violent extremism.

Several major brands, including Uniqlo, H&M, Nike and Adidas, announced last year that they would stop buying cotton from the region.

Inditex has disputed the claim that it bought from the region.

A representative told media persons, "The group has strict traceability controls which have allowed us to come to a conclusion that the allegations in the complaint are unfounded."

The representative added that the company has a 'zero-tolerance policy for forced labour' and has 'procedures in place that guarantee that practice does not exist in our supply chain'.

SMCP is alleged to be a shareholder in a firm with factories in Xinjiang, but the company refuted that and said it would work with investigators.

Uniqlo has been accused of sourcing cotton from the region but has publicly taken a position against forced labour.

For more reliable and latest news