February 3, 2022

FloQast Celebrates 2021 as Landmark Year for Company Growth

Fueled by a Successful Series D Funding Round and Hiring Campaign, FloQast Continues Building Momentum Throughout Q4 with Massive YoY Growth Rate

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE/Knowledge Bylanes) — FloQast, a provider of accounting workflow automation software created by accountants for accountants, today announced its Q4 and 2021 metrics, concluding a milestone year highlighted by international expansion, new product and company initiatives, industry accolades, and the biggest growth the company has seen since its launch. The company reported 97% year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenue (ARR) for the quarter, as well as 153% year-over-year growth in net new ARR for 2021. Further, with more than 1,500 customers globally, FloQast added 171 new customers in Q4. These milestones stem from the recent $110 million Series D funding, led by Meritech Capital, and further the company’s leadership role in workflow automation technology.

“This past year, FloQast experienced exceptional growth across the board – including funding, product and platform launches, customer acquisition and more – making this one of the most important and successful years for the company since we were founded,” says Mike Whitmire, inactive CPA, co-founder and CEO at FloQast. “This growth is a testament to the critical advances taking root across the accounting industry and highlights FloQast’s ability to deliver next-generation technology to usher in a new era of modernization and change.”

Over the course of 2021, FloQast experienced milestones in several key areas:

A successful $110 million Series D funding round, led by Meritech Capital, and a valuation of $1.2 billion, making the company a “unicorn workflow solution provider.”
The receipt of 36 G2 badges in 2021, including:
- #1 Leader in the G2 Momentum Grid, Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 Leader, Users Love Us, High Performer in Enterprise, Leader in Mid Market, and Winter 2022 Momentum Leader.
Notable Q4 customer acquisition includes prominent names such as Atmosphere TV, Demandbase, Valo Health, BioLegend Inc., Black Rock Coffee, Shenandoah Valley Organic, and more.
The launch of several new initiatives, tools and programs, including:
- FloQast Ops, a new workflow manager solution that addresses upstream and downstream financial functions to deliver greater control and transparency across accounting operations.
- FloQast ReMind, a new request management workflow add-on that automates manual tasks and delivers new levels of visibility across the close process.
- FloQast Studios, a full-scale production arm of FloQast designed to create entertaining, engaging, and educational content by accountants for accountants.
- Partnership with Donnelley Financial Solutions (NYSE: DFIN) to transform the financial close and reporting processes, especially for companies planning to go public.
Notable growth in EMEA including:
- The opening of FloQast’s London-based office.
- 68 new customers – notable Q4 logos include Revolut, Babylon Health, Watches of Switzerland, and Ironsource.
The appointment of several new executives to drive FloQast’s success in 2022 and beyond, including:
- Chief Financial Officer, Razzak Jallow
- Vice President of Customer Success, Justin Smith
- Chief Marketing Officer, C. Edward Brice
The hosting of TakeControl 2021 in September, FloQast’s third-annual user conference, drawing more than 2,000 industry professionals and recognizing world-class accounting professionals and FloQast customers excelling in their pursuit of operational excellence.
The receipt of several high caliber awards and accolades, such as inclusion in Built In’s Best Place to Work list for the fourth year in a row, being named one of the Best Workplaces in the Country by Inc. Magazine, and one of the Best Places to Work by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Reaching 1,000 users in the FloVerse, an online community platform for FloQast customers to network and collaborate.

This growth and momentum is made possible by FloQast’s community of employees who are committed to making accountants and financial leaders’ lives easier and more productive. Despite the challenges faced over the past two years during the pandemic, the company continues to excel in its performance, a credit to the team’s commitment to customer service and excellence in pursuit of FloQast’s overarching vision.

About FloQast
FloQast delivers workflow automation software enabling organizations to operationalize accounting excellence. Trusted by more than 1,500 accounting teams – including Twilio, coinbase, Los Angeles Lakers, Zoom, and snowflake – FloQast was built by accountants, for accountants to enhance the way accounting teams work. FloQast enables customers to streamline processes such as automated reconciliations, documentation requests, and other workflows that impact the month-end close, financial reporting, and payroll, and is consistently rated #1 across all user review sites. Learn more at FloQast.com.

Contact:
Kyle Cabodi
FloQast Director of Corporate Communications
kyle.cabodi@floqast.com

February 3, 2022

Modelo Rewards UFC’s Biggest Fans With Unprecedented Access Year-Long to Premier Fight Nights

Top prize includes highly coveted floor seats to every UFC Pay-Per-View event for an entire year, and behind-the-scenes access with UFC Broadcaster Jon Anik

UFC

CHICAGO, Feb. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Modelo, the Official Beer of UFC, knows that UFC fans are as passionate as they come. To reward their Fighting Spirit, Modelo is providing unprecedented access and experiences to the sport they love. With the help of DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG), UFC enthusiasts will have a shot to compete and win cash prizes and the “golden ticket” grand prize: floor seats, travel and accommodations, to the year’s biggest UFC Pay-Per-View events in Las Vegas and other cities across the United States for a full year*.

The unique prizes don’t end there. In addition to a pair of gold tickets to sit in floor seats for the biggest fights of the year, the grand prize winner will get to be a guest of UFC broadcaster, Jon Anik during fight week, where they can take part in Jon’s pre-fight announcer rituals, receive exclusive behind-the-scenes access to pre-fight weigh-ins, and participate in meet-and-greets with iconic UFC personalities. Anik will also lend his trademark high-energy voice to reward the grand prize winners with special walkout announcement videos, which are normally reserved for UFC fighters as they enter the Octagon on fight night, while the winner and their guest walk to their seats, along with much more!

“Modelo and UFC are offering the ultimate fighting experience for our passionate fans – giving an opportunity to win unparalleled and close-up access to all of the best action,” Anik said. “I just knew I wanted to be part of that fan experience, especially because of the sheer number of times I have delivered Modelo’s ‘Brewed for those with the Fighting Spirit,’ tagline over the years.”

The contest will run through DraftKings, and fans 21+ can enter for their shot to win by visiting draftkings.com/modelo. Fans will have the opportunity to compete for prizes for each PPV event- February 12, March 5 and April 9. The best lineups from the first two contests will win cash prizes and the top score from the final week will win the Modelo “golden ticket” grand prize. The contest opens February 1, 2022 and runs until April 9, 2022.

“As we continue our ongoing partnership with the UFC, Modelo is always thinking about how to bring one-of-a-kind experiences to our passionate, shared fanbase,” said Greg Gallagher, Vice President of Brand Marketing, Modelo. “We can’t wait to reward the Fighting Spirit of fans with what we’re calling the ‘gold standard’ of experiences and our biggest UFC prizing yet – an opportunity to immerse themselves into UFC in a big way that hasn’t been done before.”

*Pick winning fighters and you could win Grand Prize tickets to 10 UFC PPV fights in the U.S., June 2022 – May 2023. No purchase or payment necessary to enter. Must be 21 years or older to enter with verified age. 50 U.S./DC only. Void where prohibited. Contest series to begin 2/1/22 and end 4/15/22. Exact Contest dates are subject to change, pending UFC fight schedules. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com for details and Official Rules. No alcohol is awarded with any prize.

ABOUT MODELO^®
Born in 1925 in the small town of Tacuba, Mexico, Modelo has been bringing distinctive high-quality beer to people ever since, including Modelo Especial®, Modelo Negra®, and a flavorful lineup of Modelo Cheladas. Modelo Especial is a golden, full-flavored Pilsner-style Lager with a clean, crisp finish. As the #1 imported beer in the U.S., Modelo Especial recently surpassed 150MM cases sold in 2021. The Modelo family of beers are exclusively brewed, imported and marketed for the U.S. by Constellation Brands.

About UFC^®
UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 187 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

Press Contact:
Stephanie McGuane
Stephanie.McGuane@Cbrands.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/70d134d1-5e43-41e9-a490-5561763b1940

February 3, 2022

China’s state security targets family of doctor who blew whistle on Olympic doping

As the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) gears up for the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, state security police in Shanghai have forced the son of a retired Chinese sports team doctor who blew the whistle on organized doping to try to prevent her from publishing what she knows, on pain of losing his home.

Yue Yinxian, who has been granted political asylum in Germany, is about to publish a book detailing the state-mandated doping of Chinese athletes during the 1980s and 1990s, her son Yang Weidong told RFA.

“The state security police want to stop this book from getting published, and the CCP wants to impose its will on us,” said Yang, who is in Germany with his mother. “But I’m definitely going to go ahead and publish it on schedule.”

“I’ve made preparations in case something unexpected happens [to me or my mother], and I’ve made many copies of the manuscript, one of which is in the hands of my lawyer,” he said.

Yang said his family back home in Shanghai have been targeted by state security police, who are putting pressure on his brother Yang Weizhong to persuade him not to publish.

They also put pressure on Yang Weizhong to call his mother with “Lunar New Year greetings,” he said.

“They are threatening my mother by making him wish her a happy new year,” Yang said. “The state security police are threatening my brother via a friend of his, and want him to act as a go-between to persuade my mother not to publish, on pain of him having his home confiscated.”

He said he and his brother had spoken on Wednesday via WeChat, but that the conversation was almost certainly being monitored by state security police, to ensure Yang Weizhong did what they wanted him to do.

Yang said he and Yue, who is in her eighties, are currently hiding in a small town in Germany after been stalked and harassed by Chinese agents.

“Ever since our political asylum application was successful, we have have been stalked and intimidated,” he said. “The worst of it has been ever since the Tokyo Olympics … during which my brother suddenly turned up in Germany to visit my mother.”

“I spoke to him once then, and the CCP and the state security police were definitely behind all of this.”

Widespread doping scheme

Yue has previously revealed some details of the systematic doping of Chinese athletes at the Olympics Games and other international sport events, saying that more than 10,000 athletes received performance-enhancing drugs during the 1980s and 1990s.

She has said that the vast majority of Chinese medals from that era should be forfeit under current anti-doping rules.

Yang hopes to make public some of the data from his mother’s time as a team doctor via social media, in addition to the three-volume, 540,000-character book which contains more than 1,200 photos and illustrations.

It includes her eyewitness account of the doping by former top gymnasts Li Ning, Lou Yun and Li Yuejiu, as well as the persecution meted out to Yue’s family, and anyone else who spoke out against the doping regime.

France-based commentator Wang Longmeng said the state security police had inadvertently giving Yue’s book free publicity, by targeting her family.

“China’s state security police are so dedicated, and haven’t been idle, not even during Lunar New Year,” Wang told RFA. “Now they have given this strange New Year’s gift to Dr. Yue and Yang Weidong, by taking their relatives hostage to suppress dissent.”

“Contrary to their intention, it will probably help spread the word about [the book] to even more people; I want to thank them for promoting it,” he said.

A staff member walks pass a sign for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, in a file photo. Reuters

‘Political sports show’

CCP leader Xi Jinping promised a “simple, safe and exciting” Games on Thursday, as athletes arriving in Olympic venues were handed out gift bags including Samsung mobile phones, headphones and custom jewelry worth hundreds of U.S. dollars apiece.

Current affairs commentator Wei Xing said the entire event is an attempt to boost China’s international image and a vanity project for Xi.

“This Winter Olympics is regarded as the proof of what the regime can do … with massive investment going into sports infrastructure, as well as the entire event taking place in a self-isolation bubble from COVID-19,” Wei said.

“There have been massive costs incurred just to build the huge amount of self-isolation facilities across Beijing and Zhangjiakou alone,” he said.

Wei said the budget was largely secret, and hadn’t undergone the usual scrutiny by the country’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC).

“It’s all about the will and preferences of China’s leaders; it’s a massive political sports show,” he said.

Local residents said their lives are being continually disrupted ahead of the event, however, as the authorities pursue a “zero-COVID” program of stringent lockdowns and internal travel restrictions with mandatory quarantine, via the “health code” app.

A resident of the northern port city of Tianjin who gave only the surname Zhu said she knew of 30 people at least currently held at a compulsory quarantine facility after returning to the city from Beijing.

“The government has gone too far,” Zhu said.

An academic surnamed Shi said strict controls on online speech are also ramping up ahead of the CCP’s Party Congress later this year.

“The main reason is to prepare well ahead of the 20th Party Congress,” Shi said. “Actually, the pandemic is no longer the top priority.”

“They want to avoid excessive circulation of public speech. In some cases, it’s even worse than it was during the Cultural Revolution,” he said.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

February 3, 2022

Luca & Friends is the First Educational App for Kids Using AI Technology to Combine Learning and Fitness

App gets kids moving with fun, immersive educational games covering topics in English and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

Featured Image for GOFA INTERNATIONAL

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The World Health Organization recommends 60 minutes of exercise daily, yet 76% of American kids are falling short of that goal. To help families, schools and out-of-school time programs address this issue in today’s tech-driven world, the health and fitness company GOFA INTERNATIONAL has launched Luca & Friends, a new ground-breaking app that uses AI (artificial intelligence) technology to get kids moving through fun, immersive educational games.

Luca & Friends is the first app in the U.S. to combine learning and fitness via cutting-edge AI motion technology. Designed for kids ages 4-8, the app provides an interactive learning experience in which players play games by moving to select the right answers. Using basic movements and following simple directions, players might stretch or jump in order to “touch” or “catch” the right answers, helping them build strength, endurance, coordination and flexibility while practicing English and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills.

“In an age where kids are spending more and more time in front of their screens, we have created a way to make that time more educational and active,” said Wayne Chung, CEO and Co-Founder of GOFA INTERNATIONAL, creators of Luca & Friends. “This app includes principles of English such as nouns and grammar, as well as STEM content such as knowledge of insects, vegetables and fruits and skip counting, and provides kids with fun, exciting and engaging games designed to help instill healthy habits. Through the use of AI technology, these games encourage movement and learning, giving kids the perfect platform on which to improve their knowledge and increase their daily exercise.”

The Luca & Friends story centers on a “galaxy far, far away” where Prince Luca and his alien friends Pumkey, Digby, and Mighty Coca, embark on a mission to save Earth from hate, fighting and hurt. The characters then appear in the app to connect kids to the exciting worlds of learning and movement.

Key features of Luca & Friends will include:

Social interaction – All games are socially interactive with a leader board and other social elements.
Educational Content – Luca & Friends offers over 100 lessons and activities covering English and STEM topics. All content has been created by accredited teachers and trainers and is linked to curriculum standards.
Rewards – Luca & Friends offers loyalty and reward programs to motivate kids to stay active.
Parent Dashboard (Coming Late Feb 2022) – The Parent Zone progress dashboard shows parents the play history for their child and allows them to track their child’s growth status.
Playback Mode – The app collects a short video of the player so they can see themselves move during gameplay.
A “quiet mode” (Coming Late Feb 2022) – Players can revert back to touch-screen play in situations where there isn’t the opportunity to move around.
Multiple display options – While the app is recommended for iPad and tablet use, players can also connect their device to a large-format smart TV through AirPlay or Chromecast and play in front of the larger screen.

Luca & Friends is currently available for iPhone and Android devices via Google Play and the Apple App Store. For more information, visit https://www.lucafriends.com/.

About Luca & Friends

Luca & Friends’ mission is to connect primary school-aged children to education, fitness and healthier habits through the use of AI technology. Its vision is to transform lifestyles every day through its mantra “Move, Learn. Play.” Powered by the AI technology of its parent company GOFA INTERNATIONAL, Luca & Friends is the first mobile device app in the U.S to combine learning and fitness via cutting-edge AI motion technology. It provides an immersive and interactive learning experience that gets kids moving while also strengthening their English and STEM skills. For more information, visit https://www.lucafriends.com/. Follow Luca & Friends on Instagram.

# # #

Contacts:

Brittany Thomas-Garcia Jessica Axt

Luca & Friends KEH Communications

415-689-5988 410-975-9638

Brittany.g@gofa.co Jessica@kehcomm.com

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February 3, 2022

Connected Capital Closes €154 Million Second Fund Targeting European B2B SaaS Scale-Ups as Global Demand for Cloud Software Grows

Amsterdam-based Private Equity Firm’s Second Fund is 3x Size of Previous Fund and Brings Total Assets to over €200 Million; New Fund Makes Connected Capital The Largest Pure-Play B2B SaaS Investor in Europe

Connected Capital team

AMSTERDAM, Feb. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Connected Capital, a leading investor exclusively targeting European B2B SaaS businesses, today announced the close of its oversubscribed €154 million Fund II, bringing the firm’s total committed capital to over €200 million. The fundraise welcomed new blue-chip institutional investors alongside returning LPs, as well as a substantial GP commit.

With this new fund, Connected Capital will continue its hands-on investment approach helping founders expand their operations. In addition to continuing its current strategy of investing in growth-stage B2B SaaS companies, the firm is now also evaluating businesses in the buy-out stage and considering investments up to €40 million.

“New, innovative, and scalable solutions are unlocking functionality at an incredible speed. It is inspiring to support cloud-based business models, and our second fund will help us have more impact on SaaS growth and innovation in the next few years,” said managing partner Mathijs Robbens. “Rather than considering a broad range of tech segments, we derive our success from being fully focused on B2B SaaS models. This focus is a key enabler for us to support our portfolio companies with practical and relevant growth expertise.”

To date, Connected Capital has successfully completed nine platform investments across Europe. Its investment in SurePay, a FinTech company providing Confirmation of Payee SaaS payment solutions to banks and corporates, was its first from Fund II. Fund I continues to support the international growth of its portfolio companies: Foleon, a MarTech platform to create adaptive digital content, has grown aggressively in both Europe and the U.S.; Speakap and Concentra Analytics — both HR tech — have shown accelerated global growth since Connected Capital invested.

Portfolio companies Omnia and ChannelSight provide critical digital tools that help retailers and brands execute their e-commerce operations more effectively. Recently, Connected Capital completed investments into high-performance cloud hosting specialist UpCloud and virtual event platform Brella. Additionally, the team has been the driving force behind the merger of Onegini and iWelcome to form OneWelcome, the leading European provider in Consumer Access and Identity Management.

Leading the Accelerating Growth of B2B SaaS in Europe

Despite the pandemic, 2021 was another record-breaking year for the European enterprise software ecosystem. As confirmed by a plethora of research, B2B SaaS is growing rapidly and thereby maturing as an industry and investment category. Specifically, Atomico – in its State of European Tech report – notes that European investments in B2B software grew by $5.9 billion (+89%) in 2021, thereby outperforming most other tech segments.

Moreover, BVP’s State of Cloud 2021 report states that over the past decade there has been a 10x increase in the dollar amount going into private cloud businesses. “Historically, the U.S. has led the way in B2B SaaS, but Europe has started to catch up very fast,” said Robbens. “Cloud-based businesses are quickly increasing in terms of sales and growth and that brings huge opportunities.”

But while news of newly-minted unicorns and high valuations steal the headlines, Connected Capital has stayed focused on fundamentals. Recurring revenue, healthy gross margins, strong customer retention, and a scalable customer acquisition model are among the firm’s most important investment metrics.

Above all, Connected Capital identifies founders with perseverance, self-awareness, and an open mind. “We look for founders with a thoughtful and pragmatic tolerance for risk, who can also recognize their strengths and weaknesses in order to build a larger pool of talent and delegate properly,” said Robbens. “Strong fundamentals are key for business growth, but a flexible, diverse and adaptive team is what makes success sustainable in an evolving, competitive industry like B2B SaaS.”

A Differentiated and Hands-On Team Leads to Unmatched Success

Connected Capital was founded in 2017 by managing partners Wim Haring, Geert van Engelen, Mathijs Robbens, and Olaf te Spenke. The investment team has executive experience at Waterland, Credit Suisse, Freshfields, Bain, and BCG, among others as well as operational experience at SaaS technology companies. As a result, the combined knowledge of private equity, consulting, and SaaS operations sets a high standard for Connected Capital’s deal sourcing and due diligence processes.

It also positions Connected Capital as a strategic investor in companies that want to scale outside of their home countries. The team has an extensive network to help their founders set up the right leadership as well as grow their revenue in new markets.

HR Tech company Speakap, for example, opened their first non-European office with the help of Connected Capital. “With their support, we opened an office in New York, but that also brought the challenge of building a team overseas,” said Speakap CEO Patrick Van der Mijl. “The Connected Capital team supported us on the ground in the U.S. and helped us structure the setup of the North America team. Their commitment to supporting founders is exceptional.” The company now has over 500 customers across the globe, serving industries such as hospitality, manufacturing, food service, and logistics.

In 2021, Connected Capital supported secure identity management platform OneWelcome (previously iWelcome) during their merger with Onegini. “With mixed backgrounds in private equity, strategy, and legal, the Connected Capital team truly offers a lot of value-add,” said OneWelcome CEO Danny de Vreeze. “We’re glad that our mission resonates with them, and they’ve been hands-on from the beginning.”

ChannelSight CEO John Beckett agrees. Since receiving investment and support from Connected Capital, the e-commerce solution has more than doubled their team and their revenues. “Connected Capital really gets involved to drive the success of the business, but doesn’t get in the way,” said Beckett. “Connected Capital’s approach is refreshing, and their perspective helps us think differently about how we grow ChannelSight.”

In order to ensure the strategic and operational support to their portfolio companies, Connected Capital plans to create a compact portfolio of companies in the new fund. “Our ambition is to become the most sought-after B2B SaaS investor in Europe. Obviously the most important ingredient of that is the value we bring and our portfolio companies and founders benefiting from that,” said Robbens. “When we invest in a company, we commit to the founders and we do everything we can to help their companies accelerate growth.”

About Connected Capital

Connected Capital is a leading investor in growth and buy-out stage European B2B SaaS companies. It provides capital and expertise in pure-play SaaS to entrepreneurs in order to accelerate the growth of their businesses. Based in Amsterdam and backed by institutional investors, Connected Capital operates across Europe with over €200 million of capital under management. For more information, please visit connectedcapital.nl.

Media Contact

Aaron Endré

Endré Communications

communication@connectedcapital.nl

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February 3, 2022

US urged to help Uyghurs in deportation peril in Morocco, Saudi Arabia

Uyghurs facing imminent deportation from Morocco and Saudi Arabia to China, where they are at risk of torture and other human rights violations, are in dire need diplomatic intervention from Washington, a Congressional advisory body said in a recent letter to the top U.S. diplomat.

In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the heads of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) identified Uyghurs in Morocco and Saudi Arabia and ethnic Kazakhs in Kazakhstan who are in danger of being sent back to China.

“They are at serious risk of arbitrary detention, torture, and other forms of severe mistreatment if they are returned to China, particularly in light of the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity taking place in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR),” said the letter from Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. James McGovern (D-MA), chair and co-chair of the CECC.

“Uyghurs, Kazakhs and others previously deported to China from other countries have reportedly been detained or disappeared upon their return,” said the CEEC, which monitors human rights and rule of law in China, and keeps a database of political prisoners.

“These cases reflect the difficulties facing Uyghurs and Kazakhs seeking refuge from Chinese government persecution in countries with increasing Chinese economic influence,” it added.

Hamidulla Wali in an undated photo. Credit: Hamidulla Wali

The letter highlighted Idris Hasan, 33, who in Turkey had worked as a translator to document rights abuses in Xinjiang and now faces “imminent extradition” to China from Morocco based on an Interpol red notice seeking his capture that was withdrawn after his arrest in July.

Also in peril are two Uyghur Chinese nationals — Muslim religious scholar Hamidulla Wali and his roommate Nurmemet Rozi – who were arrested in Saudi Arabia in November 2020 and told last month that they would be deported soon, the CEEC said.

The letter to Blinken also cited a Jan. 10 report in the religious freedom website Bitter Winter that Kazakh police and Chinese consular officials recently deported more than 100 ethnic Kazakh asylum seekers and students to China via the border city of Korgas, including some who had received residency status in Kazakhstan

Kazakh authorities have allowed some ethnic Kazakhs from Xinjiang to remain in Kazakhstan, but “officials have also pressured, detained, and otherwise persecuted some ethnic Kazakhs seeking to raise awareness about human rights abuses in the XUAR in recent years,” the CECC letter said.

“We urge you to intervene in these cases to prevent the refoulement of these individuals,” the letter said, using the diplomatic term for the forcible return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they are liable to be subjected to persecution.

The focus on Uyghurs and Kazakhs in deportation limbo comes just over a year after the State Department determined that Chinese policies in the XUAR, including the mass detention of some 1.8 million people in internment camps since 2017 and forced birth control measures, constitutes genocide.

“Uyghurs in exile are now facing a refugee crisis due to China committing genocide against Uyghurs in East Turkestan for the past five years,” said Dolkun Isa, president of the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress. East Turkestan is many Uyghurs’ preferred name for their Central Asian Homeland.

“Many Uyghurs who fled Chinese persecution now face the prospect of their Chinese passports and foreign visas expiring or already expired. They don’t have a safe haven to escape,” he told RFA’s Uyghur Service.

Isa echoed the CEEC’s call for Washington to intervene in the Morocco, Saudi and Kazakhstan cases, but also to take steps at home to help Uyghurs seeking asylum.

“I also urge the U.S. government to speedily review and approve the hundreds of asylum applications of the Uyghurs in the U.S. who have been waiting for years,” he said.

Reported by Alim Seytoff for RFA’s Uyghur Service. Written by Paul Eckert.