Harun Nasrullah
A Swedish court has ordered the detention of a man suspected of spying on members of the ethnic Uyghur community on behalf of Chinese intelligence, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced on April 9.
Authorities are currently holding the man in custody in Stockholm. While prosecutors have not officially disclosed the suspect’s identity or nationality, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) confirmed the individual as Dilshat Reshit, a long-time figure in the diaspora community, based on court documents the organisation had reviewed.
According to the WUC, Reshit has served as its Chinese-language spokesperson since 2004. In light of the arrest, the organisation’s leadership convened an emergency meeting and decided to immediately remove Reshit from his position. In a statement, the WUC described the development as deeply troubling and reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the Uyghur diaspora from transnational repression.
“The man is suspected of having illegally collected information and intelligence on individuals within the Uyghur community on behalf of the Chinese intelligence service,” said Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist. The prosecution has yet to confirm whether the alleged espionage activity targeted Uyghurs specifically within Sweden or extended to individuals abroad.
In an emailed response, the Chinese embassy in Sweden said it was unaware of the case and declined to comment further.
The arrest has sent shockwaves through Sweden’s Uyghur community, one of the most prominent in Europe. Over the past two decades, thousands of Uyghurs have fled escalating repression in China’s Xinjiang region and sought asylum in Sweden. By 2019, the Swedish Migration Agency had granted refugee status to all Uyghurs from Xinjiang, citing the risk of persecution — a move that positioned Sweden as a leader in advocating for Uyghur rights on the global stage.
Despite the relative safety Sweden offers, the Uyghur community remains deeply concerned about the reach of China’s security apparatus beyond its borders. Human rights groups and Uyghur activists have repeatedly warned that Chinese authorities are engaged in a widespread campaign of transnational repression, aimed at silencing dissent and collecting intelligence on diaspora populations.
“This arrest is just the latest reminder that even in Sweden, we are not free from surveillance and intimidation,” said Abdulhakim Idris, a spokesperson for the Swedish Uyghur Committee, a leading advocacy group. “We have fled one type of repression, only to find ourselves subject to another, albeit more covert, form of control.”
The Swedish Uyghur Committee regularly organises demonstrations, public awareness campaigns, and political lobbying to spotlight the Chinese government’s ongoing human rights violations. Their advocacy efforts have become increasingly focused on the phenomenon of transnational repression — including threats, harassment, digital surveillance, and attempts to infiltrate exile communities.
The case has once again raised the issue of how foreign governments, particularly authoritarian regimes, attempt to monitor and influence diaspora groups in open societies. In its 2024 national security report, the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) identified transnational repression as a growing threat to national sovereignty and civil liberties. Säpo warned that foreign intelligence services are increasingly targeting individuals and organisations involved in political activism or opposition to regimes abroad.
Human rights organisations have long accused the Chinese government of systematic abuses against the Uyghur population — including mass arbitrary detention, forced labour, religious suppression, and cultural erasure. A landmark report published by the United Nations in 2022 concluded that China’s actions may constitute crimes against humanity. The Chinese government has consistently denied these allegations, labelling them as “groundless” and “politically motivated.”
For Uyghurs in Sweden, the arrest has reinforced longstanding fears that Beijing’s repressive tactics are not confined to Chinese borders. The community continues to call on Swedish authorities to thoroughly investigate any foreign interference and to implement stronger protections for vulnerable diaspora groups.
As the investigation progresses, the case is expected to draw increased scrutiny from international observers and human rights bodies, concerned not only with the fate of Uyghurs in China but also with the safety and freedom of those who have sought refuge abroad.
Photo: Demonstrators gather in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 2, 2021, to protest China’s treatment of Uyghur Turks and demand an end to human rights abuses. (Credit: Atila Altuntaş/AA)
