Mesut Ozil: Arsenal distance themselves from midfielder's comments on Uighur Muslims' treatment in ChinaMesut Ozil has criticised China over its alleged persecution of Uighur MuslimsArsenal have distanced the club from comments made by midfielder Mesut Ozil about the plight of Uighur Muslims. Ozil had criticised China amid allegations that the minority has suffered religious and ethnic persecution at the hands of Chinese authorities. In a statement on Weibo, China's most popular social media site, Arsenal said: "Regarding the comments made by Mesut Ozil on social media, Arsenal must make a clear statement. As a football club, Arsenal has always adhered to the principle of not involving itself in politics." The UN and human rights groups estimate that up to two million people, mostly Uighur Muslims, have been detained in harsh conditions in Xinjiang.

Source: Sky sports December 14, 2019 16:52 UTC