Sheffield Hallam University ordered professor to cease human rights study into Uyghurs forced labour in China
An investigation into allegations that a British university was subjected to pressure from Beijing authorities to halt research about human rights abuses in China has been referred to counter-terrorism police.
The Guardian reported on Monday morning that Sheffield Hallam University, home to the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice (HKC) research institution, had ordered professor Laura Murphy to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in the country in February.
Murphy’s work focuses on Uyghurs, a persecuted Muslim minority in China.
A South Yorkshire police spokesperson said the force had referred the investigation on because the “allegations fall under Section 3 of the National Security Act”, the BBC reported.
