A group of North Korean escapees residing in Britain have held a demonstration in front of the Chinese Embassy in London to protest China’s forced repatriation of North Korean escapees.

The group, made up of a dozen members of an association representing North Korean escapees in Europe and some British citizens, claimed on Thursday that China can reject Pyongyang’s request to send back escapees in line with the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

The group said China’s government is seriously violating human rights by catching and forcibly sending back North Korean escapees. The group then unveiled a list of escapees that were repatriated to the North.

Similar demonstrations were simultaneously held by human rights groups on Thursday in 19 cities in 12 countries, including New York.