Alarm raised over Chinese CCTV cameras guarding ‘symbol of democracy’ Magna Carta | China

It has been revealed that the security cameras protecting the Magna Carta were provided by a Chinese CCTV company whose technology allegedly aided the Uyghur “genocide” and was used by Russia during the invasion of Ukraine.

In letters seen by the Guardian, campaigners called for cameras manufactured by Dahua Technology in Hangzhou, China, to be removed from Salisbury Cathedral, home to one of four surviving copies of the “powerful symbol of social justice”.

They also wrote to officials in charge of the Parthenon temple in Greece, which was monitored by cameras made by Hikvision, another Chinese company.

Cameras manufactured by the firms have been removed from “sensitive” government sites in the UK over concerns they could be accessed remotely by China and used to spy on sensitive sites.

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and a Ukrainian organization called Don’t Fund the Russian Military have raised new concerns about the two companies’ roles in sites that host key symbols of democracy and human rights.

China’s Dahua Technology boasts on its website that low-light security cameras helped secure a copy of the Magna Carta sealed by King John in Runnymede, England, in 1215.

The document sets limits on feudal powers and is widely seen as a forerunner of later formulations that established democratic values ​​and the protection of human rights.

Salisbury Cathedral’s website calls the 810-year-old document “a powerful symbol of social justice” that “inspired and encouraged freedom movements around the world.”

But in a letter revealed during Keir Starmer’s visit to China, the WUC said Dahua was involved in “genocide or crimes against humanity”.

The organization, which represents a persecuted minority ethnic group in China’s Xinjiang region, alleged the company was involved in facial recognition systems designed to identify Uyghurs and automate police reporting.

The WUC said Dahua’s CCTV systems “play a role in control and surveillance mechanisms” designed to persecute the predominantly Muslim group in Xinjiang.

“It is particularly painful for us that the technologies of such companies are used to protect one of the most important symbols of democracy and freedom,” the WUC wrote in an emailed letter to the cathedral’s security chief.

A spokesman for the cathedral said he had not received the email sent to its security chief. The Guardian has seen evidence showing the email was sent on December 22.

A spokesman for the cathedral added: “We also do not comment on security matters, but our systems and suppliers are regularly reviewed working with external consultants.”

Dahua’s technology was installed by British security firm ARC Fire Safety & Security, according to the Chinese company’s website. The British company did not respond to a request for comment.

The WUC emailed officials responsible for the Parthenon temple in Greece, which uses cameras produced by Hikvision, raising the same concerns and urging them to remove the CCTV.

He called for the removal of the technology in both regions.

WUC, based in Munich, Germany, also noted reports that the companies’ cameras had systemic vulnerabilities that allowed them to be hacked by Russia during reconnaissance during the invasion of Ukraine.

Oleksii Kuprienko, from the Ukrainian organization Don’t Fund Russian Army, said that there were many incidents where images from security cameras were accessed and even published online during Russian missile attacks.

“Such images can be used to analyze the effectiveness of attacks and also to frighten civilians by clearly demonstrating the power of Russian weapons,” he said.

Kuprienko cited an incident in early 2024 in which a camera believed to be made by Hikvision broadcast the operation of a Ukrainian air defense system. “Shortly after that position was hit,” he said.

Ukrainian lawmaker Grigory Mamka, who sits on the parliamentary committee that oversees the implementation of the law, confirmed that the cameras produced by Dahua and Hikvision were removed.

“[The security services] “It was determined that the access codes were hacked and connected to equipment installed by these two companies,” Mamka said in an interview mediated by a translator.

Mamka said security services found that the cameras were hacked by the Russian military in 2024 to spy on defensive positions.

Apparently, footage of the missile attacks from CCTV cameras was also published on video streaming sites. Kuprienko said this was part of Russian psychological warfare designed to intimidate Ukrainian civilians.

Hikvision and Dahua did not respond to requests for comment.

An email sent to a representative of the authority responsible for the management of the Parthenon remained unanswered.