CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2025, 5:00 PM EST
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
+1 650-703-4523
https://campaignforuyghurs.org/

CFU Condemns Malicious AI Deepfake Smear Campaign

Washington, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) strongly condemns a malicious smear campaign targeting its Founder and Executive Director, Rushan Abbas, which has circulated fabricated allegations and defamation/libel through multiple digital platforms in an attempt to discredit her work to expose China’s ongoing genocide against the Uyghur people. 

These defamatory attacks, relying on AI-generated deepfake content and false claims, represent yet another example of how disinformation is being weaponised to silence Uyghur human rights defenders. These baseless allegations are part of a coordinated effort to silence and delegitimize Uyghur advocacy as global pressure on the Chinese government grows.

Such smear campaigns are consistent with Beijing’s long-running campaign of transnational repression against Uyghurs in the diaspora. For years, Rushan Abbas has been a target of harassment, intimidation, and propaganda for exposing the Chinese regime’s genocide. Now, with AI tools being weaponized to generate defamatory deepfake content, the tactics of repression are evolving, but the goal remains the same: to weaken international solidarity and undermine the Uyghur cause. Since the release of Rushan Abbas’s memoir, Unbroken: One Uyghur’s Fight for Freedom, these attacks have only escalated. Just months ago, CFU uncovered two fabricated books impersonating Abbas’s memoir, designed to confuse readers and dilute her testimony. Even more recently, she has received notifications of attempts to access her phone originating from Hong Kong and China, a reminder of the regime’s efforts to monitor and intimidate her. Together, these incidents reveal a troubling pattern of authoritarian actors exploiting emerging technologies to distort reality, manipulate digital platforms, and erase Uyghur narratives abroad.

“These false allegations are a direct result of the impact my advocacy and work have had in exposing the CCP’s genocidal crimes against the Uyghurs,” said Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of CFU. “The use of AI deepfakes to produce slanderous content shows the desperation of those who want to discredit my work, distort reality, and erase the Uyghur people’s suffering. I take such attacks as a badge of honor. No amount of defamation attempts will deter me from continuing to speak the truth about the Chinese regime’s crimes. It only makes me feel I am getting under their skin and making Beijing uncomfortable.”

CFU calls on journalists, policymakers, and the public to recognize the manufactured disinformation campaign undermining Uyghurs’ advocacy. As AI tools are increasingly misused to generate false evidence, governments and media platforms must strengthen safeguards against deepfake propaganda. CFU remains steadfast in its mission to defend Uyghur rights and urges allies around the world to stand in solidarity against these malicious efforts to obscure the truth.