According to human rights activists, China forces Uyghurs to work in the textile industry. German companies producing there, such as Hugo Boss and Lidl, contradict them.
A non-governmental organization has filed criminal charges against several German retailers and textile brands such as Hugo Boss and Lidl. Reports from Amnesty International, for example, suggested that the Chinese government was systematically persecuting Uyghurs and forcing them to work in the textile industry, cotton harvesting or the ready-made clothing sector, among other things, the organization European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) said.
According to the report, the companies have or had production in Xinjiang until recently. According to the Berlin-based ECCHR, this emerged from the supplier lists they published. The NGO accuses the companies of abetting and profiting from the alleged forced labor. With the criminal complaint filed in Germany, ECCHR is asking the Attorney General's Office to investigate the alleged forced labor and the possible legal responsibility of the companies.
"It is unacceptable that European governments criticize China for human rights violations while companies may be profiting from the exploitation of the Uyghur population," said Miriam Saage-Maaß, head of ECCHR's Business and Human Rights Program. "It is high time that those responsible in companies are held accountable if suspicions of forced labor are confirmed." Companies must prevent potentially aiding and abetting crimes under international law and other human rights violations, ECCHR said in a statement.
Hugo Boss and Lidl deny allegations
Hugo Boss stressed in a statement that the company does not tolerate any forced or compulsory labor or forms of modern slavery and commits all partners along the supply chain to ensure human rights are respected and not to tolerate any violations. Hugo Boss had asked its direct suppliers to confirm that goods in the supply chain are manufactured in accordance with Hugo Boss values and standards. In response to the reports on one supplier, Hugo Boss had additionally carried out its own audits in the production plants, which had not revealed any indications of the use of forced laborers. read more