ETGE Says FIFA Confiscated East Turkistan Flag in Atlanta

The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile condemned FIFA after it said FIFA-authorized personnel confiscated an East Turkistan flag from spectators during the World Cup match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27, 2026. ETGE said the flag was labeled “prohibited,” “separatist,” “militia,” and “hateful,” and demanded a retraction, apology, and accountability. The group said the flag was adopted by the First East Turkistan Republic in November 1933 and is a national symbol for Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples of East Turkistan, not a militia flag.