A US immigration judge has granted asylum to a Chinese national who he said had a “well founded fear” of persecution if sent back to China after exposing alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs there. He released most of his video footage on YouTube before taking a boat to Florida in October 2021. Guan told the judge he didn’t know whether he would survive the boat trip and wanted to make sure the footage would be seen. Guan’s lawyer, Chen Chuangchuang, said in his closing statement that the case was a “textbook example of why asylum should exist” and that the US had both a “moral and legal responsibility” to grant Guan asylum. In making his ruling, judge Charles Ouslander told Guan the court found him to be a credible witness and that he had established his legal eligibility for asylum.

Source: The Guardian January 29, 2026 20:31 UTC