A U.S. Congressional committee recommends sanctioning the Chinese government and Chinese nationals for carrying out possible “crimes against humanity” by forcibly repatriating North Korean refugees.

The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) made the proposal in its annual report released on Thursday.

The commission based its recommendations on reports that the Chinese government “continued to detain North Korean refugees in China and attempt to forcibly repatriate them to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), where they face severe punishment, including torture, imprisonment, forced labor and even execution.”

“The forced repatriation of North Korean refugees violates China’s obligations under international