The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and the Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights (UZDM) strongly condemn a recent surge in phishing attempts, impersonation schemes, slander campaigns, and other malicious communications targeting our organizations, our partners, and prominent Uyghur leaders.
In recent weeks, multiple actors have contacted our partners and associates while falsely claiming to represent the WUC or communicate on our behalf. These communications are fraudulent and should not be considered official correspondence from our organizations.
We specifically urge all partners, participants, and supporters not to engage with any individual using the name “Bay Zolla” or the email address BayZolla2963@outlook.com, who has been falsely presenting himself as a WUC staff member. All official WUC staff members are publicly listed on our website. If you receive suspicious emails or messages related to the WUC, UZDM, or the upcoming International Uyghur Forum (IUF 2026), we strongly encourage you to verify their authenticity directly through our official channels at contact@uyghurcongress.org before responding or sharing any information.
These incidents come ahead of IUF 2026, jointly organized by the WUC and UZDM. The forum marks ten years since the Chinese government began the mass internment of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan and will focus on advancing international efforts from recognition toward concrete accountability.
The coordinated nature and timing of these attacks are deeply concerning. Attempts to spread confusion, intimidate participants, damage reputations, interfere with advocacy efforts, or disrupt international cooperation surrounding IUF 2026 will not succeed.
Unfortunately, these tactics are not new. Ahead of major Uyghur advocacy events in recent years, our organizations have repeatedly documented similar efforts aimed at sowing distrust, targeting staff and organizers, and undermining international solidarity and engagement.
The WUC and UZDM are actively monitoring and documenting all suspicious communications and malicious activities. We urge all partners, participants, media representatives, and supporters to exercise heightened caution and verify unusual requests, invitations, or communications through official WUC channels.
The WUC and UZDM will not be intimidated by cyber harassment, impersonation campaigns, or coordinated attempts to undermine our work. Those responsible for these malicious acts should understand clearly: intimidation and disinformation will not silence Uyghur voices, weaken our partnerships, or obstruct growing international efforts toward truth and accountability.