On 5 September 2021, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) filed a criminal complaint in Germany against Hugo Boss, Lidl and other German brands and retailers. It alleges that they abetted and profited from alleged forced labour of the Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region of China, directly or indirectly, and could therefore be involved in crimes against humanity.

In April 2021, ECCHR supported a similar complaint filed in France by Sherpa, the Collectif Ethique sur l’étiquette, the Uyghur Institute of Europe and an Uyghur victim.