WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Dec. 17 came out in support of Arsenal player Mesut Ozil for his criticism of China’s treatment of ethnic Uyghur Muslims, saying Beijing can censor the team’s football games but cannot hide rights violations.
The Arsenal midfielder, a German Muslim of Turkish origin, last week in social media posts called Uyghurs “warriors who resist persecution” and criticized both China’s crackdown and the silence of Muslims in response.
