Xinjiang: lawyers confirm Paris court complaint against fashion groups
Legal firm Bourdon & Associés has confirmed that it has presented a formal complaint to the Judicial Court of Paris against four major fashion groups. The complaint seeks to establish ties between alleged forced labour involving Uyghur communities in Xinjiang, China, and the four groups, Uniqlo, Inditex, SMCP and Skechers.
Working with campaign groups Sherpa and Ethique Sur L’Étiquette (Ethics Behind the Label), and with an eyewitness from the Uyghur communities, the law firm presented its complaint to the court on April 9.
Bourdon & Associés said the information it had gathered concerning the four groups’ use of cotton grown and spun in Xinjiang was enough to convince it to bring its case to court.
Paris-based newspaper Libération said this was likely to be the first of a series of complaints across Europe against fashion companies over this issue.
