Vanishing Vulnerable Voices: Four Years of Impunity Cases of Enforced Disappearances of Civilians in East Turkestan

July 2013

World Uyghur Congress (WUC)

Adolf-Kolpingstr.9, 80336 Munich, Germany Tel: +49 89 54321999, Fax: +49 89 54349789 [email protected], www.uyghurcongress.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Number Map of East Turkestan……………………………………………………………………….. 4 I. Purpose and Compilation of Report………………………………………………… 5 II. Background Generic Causes of Tensions Prior to July 2009…………………………………… 6-7 Events of July 2009………………………………………………………………………… 7-8 III. Cases of Enforced Disappearances Individual Profiles………………………………………………………………………….. Alim Abdurehim…………………………………………………………………………….. 9 Memetable Abdurehim…………………………………………………………………….. 10 Abdukerim Abla…………………………………………………………………………….. 11-12 Abduleziz Ablet……………………………………………………………………………… 13 Memet Barat………………………………………………………………………………….. 14-15 Alimjan Bekri…………………………………………………………………………………. 16 Tahirjan Ebey………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Imammemet Eli……………………………………………………………………………… 18-21 Nebi Eli…………………………………………………………………………………………. 22-23 Eysajan Emet…………………………………………………………………………………. 24-25 Abdugheni Eziz………………………………………………………………………………. 26-27 Aytqazi Hasanbek…………………………………………………………………………… 28 TohtiEli Hashim…………………………………………………………………………….. 29-30 Alimjan Helaji………………………………………………………………………………… 31-32 Nurul Islam……………………………………………………………………………………. 33 Ehmetjan Jume………………………………………………………………………………. 34 Amantay Jumetay…………………………………………………………………………… 35 Zakir Memet………………………………………………………………………………….. 36 Muxter Mexet………………………………………………………………………………… 37 Imin Momin…………………………………………………………………………………… 38 Turghun Obulqasim……………………………………………………………………….. 39-40

Abliz Qadir…………………………………………………………………………………….. 41-42 Abdurehim Qadir…………………………………………………………………………… 43 Abdurehim Sidiq……………………………………………………………………………. 44 Abaxun Sopur…………………………………………………………………………………… 45-46 Ablajan Sulayman…………………………………………………………………………… 47 Bekri Toxti…………………………………………………………………………………….. 48 Tursunjan Tohti……………………………………………………………………………... 49-50 Enver Turdi……………………………………………………………………………………… 51-52 Yusup Turghun………………………………………………………………………………. 53 Ekber Tursun…………………………………………………………………………………. 54 Jumejan Tursun……………………………………………………………………………… 55-56 Turdimemet Tursunniyaz……………………………………………………………….. 57-58 Memtimin Yasin……………………………………………………………………………... 59 Financial Obstacles………………………………………………………………………… 60-61 IV. Law International Law and Enforced Disappearances………………………………. 62-64 China's Criminal Procedure Law………………………………………………………. 64-70 V. Conclusion Efforts to Uncover the Truth……………………………………………………………. 71-72 Concluding Remarks………………………………………………………………………. 73 VI. Recommendations………………………………………………………………………... 74

MAP OF EAST TURKESTAN, THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

1 (known by China as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region)

1 Xinjiang means 'New Territory' in Chinese. Xinjiang is an exonym that is only applied by the Chinese authorities. The endonym as used by the Uyghurs is East Turkestan. This difference in name is in the same mould as the exonym and endonym naming of Tibet; Tibet is the endonym used by the Tibetans, Xizang (roughly translated as 'Western Treasure Vault') is the exonym used by the Chinese authorities.

I. PURPOSE OF REPORT

The purpose of this report is to inform the international community about the thousands of enforced disappearances of civilians from Urumqi and other cities in East Turkestan, People’s Republic of China since the 5 July incident in 2009. In a state with well-documented lack of due process and a legal tradition that nurtures the Chinese Communist Party's political ambitions, seeking redress for victims of enforced disappearances through domestic avenues often proves fruitless. By documenting and raising awareness of this issue, it is hoped that the international community will (re)invigorated itself to come together in urging China to bring itself in line with the norms and legal standards as enshrined in international law.

In addition to its long-overdue signing and ratifying of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, it is also hoped that the Chinese authorities will provide information on the fate, condition and whereabouts on the many innocent Uyghurs – including those mentioned in this report - who have disappeared since the 5 July incident and, where appropriate, to release them. This report comes at a timely juncture as, in March 2012, China's National People's Congress passed a number of revisions to its Criminal Procedure Law that have afforded further powers to the authorities to effectively disappear individuals, which has been described as a crime against humanity. There is therefore an even more pressing need for the international community to encourage the Chinese government to take appropriate measures to address and resolve the occurrence of such enforced disappearances.

COMPILATION OF THE REPORT

This report has been compiled following intense investigations by Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service, which has gathered a significant amount of information regarding the forcible abduction of several of the individuals referenced later in this report. The report consists of individual profiles for 34 disappeared individuals of whom we have recorded knowledge by way of, but not exhaustively: personal accounts from many of the missing persons’ families; a description of common obstacles families have faced in searching for their missing relatives; pleas of action expressed by the victims’ friends and families toward local and central Chinese governmental institutions; and responses of Chinese government officials to those families’ pleas and petitions.

Profiles for each victim include their name, age, place of birth, profession, date and place of arrest, the date when the search for that individual began, the name of the person or persons who carried out the search, the ethnicity of the victim. Where possible, we have included photos provided to RFA - Uyghur service by a family member and/or an informant. The age reported for each victim is their age at the time of their disappearance, and photos of victims were taken before their disappearances. Due to the reluctant testimony or lack of knowledge of some informants, a few profiles lack elements of the information described above.

II. BACKGROUND

GENERIC CAUSES OF TENSIONS PRIOR TO JULY 2009

The reasons behind the tragic events in July 20009 have their roots in a variety of different and complex issues emanating from the Chinese Communist Party's policies towards Uyghurs and East Turkestan as a whole. Although China claims to have had possession of what is today Xinjiang since the late 18th Century, in reality it did not truly obtain East Turkestan until the 20th Century. The name given to East Turkestan by China is Xinjiang, which is translated as 'New Territory', thus suggesting its late expropriation. The Uyghur people have for the majority of their history been independent, wherein they have acquired and nurtured an identity, religion, culture and language entirely distinct from the rest of the modern People's Republic of China (PRC). These distinct differences sometimes put the Uyghurs in conflict with the PRC's political aims, from which Uyghurs do not fully enjoy their fundamental human rights as enshrined in international law.

By definition, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) ascribes according to law a degree of autonomy to the region. However, this is in reality not afforded. Many Uyghurs feel aggrieved at not being able to fully enjoy their rights as enshrined in international law and in, at least superficially, domestic Chinese law. They feel that they are routinely discriminated against by the Chinese authorities in education, religion, language, culture, jobs and many other aspects of their lives. Furthermore, any legitimate protestation or assertions of better rights for themselves are often met with violence and crackdowns which further already deep mistrust and tensions with the Chinese authorities.

The events of July 2009 bore many similarities to another major incident in Ghulja, or Yining in Mandarin, where peaceful protests by Uyghurs against the systematic suppression of their culture and identity were met with violence, inter alia, by the Chinese authorities on 5 February 1997. One of the major sources of tension was the re-banning of the traditional Uyghur gatherings called meshrep.2 The Meshrep practice was previously banned by the Chinese authorities until 1994 when it was permitted. After three years of being legal, the practice was again banned. The Uyghurs in the area had revived the meshrep in an attempt to revive Islamic culture and to prevent social problems such as high-levels of alcoholism and drug abuse. The leaders of the local Uyghur communities had also organised soccer leagues, which were also then banned by the authorities and the sports fields were destroyed.

The Uyghurs in Ghulja demonstrated on the morning of 5 February 1997 to demand the release of hundreds of young Uyghurs who had been detained the night before (the holy night of Ramadan) while engaging in their traditional prayers in their homes. The demonstration was stopped by the police, who then began to shoot into the crowd without reason or provocation and killed demonstrators.3 Under the accusation of “extremism, terrorism or separatism”, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators were arrested. In the afternoon, friends and relatives of those arrested in the morning organised a second demonstration to demand their release. Again, the security forces brutally suppressed the demonstration and again arrests of hundreds of people were arrested.

2 Meshrep is a traditional and complex Uyghur practice in which male Uyghurs gather to engage in poetry, music, dance and discussions on issues affecting the community. In 2010, UNESCO included the Meshrep practice to its 'List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding after a submission by China. In an independent review by experts of China's application of Meshrep to the list, Rachel Harris expressed deep-lying concerns regarding the viability of the chance to practice Meshrep in reality, noting a variety of restrictions that make practicing Meshrep in effect illegal. You can download the UNESCO report here: www.unesco.org/culture/ich/doc/download.php?versionID=06371 For further information, see here: http://www.cecc.gov/pages/virtualAcad/index.phpd?showsingle=152889 3 'Gulja Massacre', Channel Four, YouTube. See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RUCOrg2Pb0 6

According to eyewitnesses, the detained people were beaten, mistreated and tortured in custody which led to the death of some detainees.

Following this violent crackdown of legitimate peaceful protest, many Uyghurs were arrested, detained, tortured and disappeared as the Chinese authorities implemented its “strike hard campaign”. According to amnesty international, more than 200 Uyghurs were executed4 in the aftermath, and the World Uyghur Congress and other NGOs believe that many Uyghurs remain disappeared today as a result of this incident.

EVENTS OF JULY 2009

On 5 July 2009, demonstrations erupted in the streets of Urumqi, East Turkestan, the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The protests initially began peacefully as demonstrators called for a full investigation into an incident in Shaoguan, Southern China several days earlier in which seventeen

Uyghurs had been killed,5 although official government figures were markedly lower.6 The peaceful protests then escalated into violent attacks between Uyghurs and Han Chinese later that day, in which many Uyghurs and Han Chinese needlessly lost their lives or were left injured as a result of the ensuing violence, notwithstanding the many buildings that were destroyed.

The crisis did not end with the violence as it continued for several days after the initial unrest whereby many Uyghurs, most of whom were male, disappeared as wide-scale police sweeps stepped up. Just a few days after the eruption of violence, some Uyghur women told a Daily Telegraph reporter that police officers entered Uyghur neighbourhoods during the night of 6 July in order to pull men and boys out of their beds, subsequently rounding up approximately 100 suspects.7 On 21 October 2009, Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented 43 cases of Uyghur men who disappeared after being taken away by Chinese security forces in large-scale overnight sweeps of Uyghur neighbourhoods on 6 and 7 July.8

As reported by Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service on 14 May 2012, exiled Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer announced that about 10,000 Uyghurs have been reported missing since the 5 July incident in 2009.9 Sources suggest that most of the disappeared victims are believed to be taken into custody by Chinese authorities in large-scale sweep operations. These operations were carried out by the People’s Armed Police and various government authorities in different cities and provinces of East Turkestan, but mainly in Urumqi. According to HRW, most of those taken away were young Uyghur men in their 20s, but the youngest were reported to have been 12 and 14.10

As of 1 July 2013, more than 30 families have come forward to Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service with their own stories of missing relatives, 19 of whom provided details and photos. The families of disappeared victims believe that their missing relatives are being detained by the Chinese

4 'Fourteenth Anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre', RAFTO Foundation [online]. Published 3 February 2011. See here: http://www.rafto.no/?page=55&news=210 5 The World Uyghur Congress has ascertained from sources on the ground that seventeen Uyghurs were killed during the attack. 6 'Riots in Western China Amid Ethnic Tension', The New York Times. Published 5 June 2012. See here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/world/asia/06china.html?ref=global-home 7 'Eyewitness: tensions high on the streets of Urumqi', The Daily Telegraph. Published 7 July 2009. See here:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5769839/Eyewtiness-tensions-high on-the-streets-of-Urumqi.html 8 'We Are Afraid to Even Look for Them: Enforced Disappearances in the Wake of Xinjiang's Protests', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 21 October 2009. See here: http://www.hrw.org/en/node/86103/section/6 9 'More Uyghurs Missing Loved Ones', Radio Free Asia [online]. Published 14 May 2012. See here: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/uyghur-05152012121344.html 10 'Many 'missing' after China riots', BBC News [online]. Published 21 October 2009. See here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8317644.stm 7

authorities. In many cases, their suspicions were confirmed by fellow prison cellmates and the police. The 19 families who have communicated with Radio Free Asia are from East Turkestan's capital Urumqi, Silk Road city Kashgar and Qaraqash Province in Hotan prefecture. According to the one of the residents of Hotan’s Qaraqash Province, the number of disappeared victims from there alone has exceeded 200. As of August 2013, Hotan’s Qaraqash province had the highest number of disappeared victims according to Radio Free Asia. Additionally, Radio Free Asia contacted several police officers and government officials from Hotan’s Qaraqash Province. None of the police contacted revealed the exact number of disappearances, but several admitted to the number being extraordinarily high. It has also been reported that many families from Hotan and Kashgar have travelled to Urumqi and Beijing after the 5 July incident in search of their relative. One of the government officials contacted by Radio Free Asia acknowledged of his involvement in forcefully transporting relatives of missing victims from Beijing.11

As one can see after studying the profiles of these victims, there is a distinct pattern of commonalities shared among the cases of theses disappeared individuals; all but two of the victims reported are of Uyghur ethnicity; all victims are young males; and all but a few of them are believed to be innocent of being involved in the unrest or violent attacks during the 5 July incident. Moreover, in a further common attribute, the family of each disappeared person has been tirelessly searching for them since their disappearance. Many of these affected family members have petitioned to all levels of government offices and institutions, to no avail. According to the allegations received, the Urumqi City Police Department had been assigned to investigate all cases of disappeared victims post-5 July incident. However, the Urumqi City Police Department, along with all other government institutions, have often released false information or refused to release any at all to families with missing relatives.

In addition, government officials and police officers from all echelons have been eagerly demanding an end to any further investigations of the fate of disappeared victims by their family members and friends. In this regards, families and friends with missing loved ones have been harassed, interrogated and arrested for continuing their investigation and/or for communicating with foreign media stations such as Radio Free Asia in defiance of the state authorities.

11 '5-Iyuldin kéyin iz-Déreksiz ghayib bolghanlar (5)', Radio Free Asia [online]. Published 16 May 2012. '5-Iyuldin kéyin iz-Déreksiz ghayib bolghanlar (20)', Radio Free Asia [online]. Published 03 August 2012 8

III. CASES OF ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

ALIM ABDUREHIM ! Name: Alim Abdurehim (阿里木. 阿不都热依木) Age: 35 Place of birth: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: An employee of the Astane Company, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Wife and family Informant(s): Wife Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 An updated photo of Alim Abdurehim According to his w ife, Alim Abdurehim is innocent of any crime and did not attend the unrest on 5 July 2009. He was reportedly arrested for engaging in a minor argument with a police officer who was blocking the streets at the time. Although Alim Abdurehim’s wife had been diligently looking for him since his disappearance, she has yet to find any information on his whereabouts.

Figure .2 Front and back of Alimjan Abdurehim’s Identification Card

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 14 May 2012 and 16 May 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

MEMETABLA ABDUREHIM Name: Memetabla Abdurehim (麦麦提阿布拉. 阿不都热依木) Age: 17 Place of birth: Qaghliq, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Unemployed Date of capture: 6 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Father Informant(s): Father Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure.1 A photo of Memetabla Abdurehim Memetabla Abdurehim moved to Urumqi from Qaghilik not too long before his arrest in search of better employment opportunities. He was taken away on July 6th from his rental apartment in SaiMaChang district in Urumqi. He was arrested along with two of his roommates; one of the three arrested men was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Another was released but Memetabla is nowhere to be found.

At the beginning of June 2012, Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service contacted Memetabla Abdurehim’s family and informants in his case for an inquiry about their safety and well-being. It was reported to Radio Figure. 2 A photo of Memetabla Abdurehim’s Free Asia - Uyghur service that after the initial registration certificate with detailed information of interview about Memetabla Abdurehim’s situation, the his ID number, date of birth etc. informant(s) and/or family member(s) has/have been questioned by multiple Chinese police officers and officials in regards to their recent phone calls and conversations about Memetabla Abdurehim. Chinese officials have also demanded the informant(s) and/or family member(s) to discontinue their communications with any media station or reporter in regards to the case of Memetabla Abdurehim. The local police station at Qaghliq, East Turkestan also arrested the owner of the Internet Cafe from which the pictures were sent to Radio Free Asia.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 11 May 2012, 14 May 2012 and 4 June 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ABDUKERIM ABLA Name: Abdukerim Abla （阿布都克力木. 阿布拉） Age: 22 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Retail Associate Date of capture: 13 August 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: August 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Father and other family members Informant(s): Father Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure.1 A photo of Abdukerim Abla Abdukerim Abla was born in 1987 in Kashgar. At the time of his arrest, Abdukerim was working as a retail associate in a beauty store located at the DongKoruk International Bazaar in Urumqi City. On 13 August 2009, police officers raided the bazaar in the morning around 1000. Four special enforcement police dressed in black walked into the store in which Abdukerim was working and left shortly after capturing a photo of him. A few hours later, the same police officers walked into the store again and arrested him. The security guards and the store manager asked the Figure.2 A photo of Abdukerim Abla’s parents police officer for the reason of Abdukerim’s arrest, the police said it was merely for investigation purposes and they needed to question him.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programme on 06 September 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ABDUKERIM ABLA

Abdukerim’s father Ablajan, who had a well-established business in Kashgar at the time, has made numerous trips to Urumqi. Despite his countless visits to multiple police stations and government offices, he has yet to get an answer on his son’s whereabouts. In September of 2012, Abdukerim reported to Radio Free Asia that he has spoken to many who have witnessed Abdukerim’s arrest on the morning 13 August 2009, including a Uyghur girl who has written down the plate number of the car that took his son away.

Unfortunately, the girl refused to disclose the license plate number to Ablajan due to fear for her own safety. Ablajan has also approached many released prisoner since the 5 July incident for answers about his son, only one of them has confirmed to have seen Abdukerim. According to this ex-prisoner who spoke with Ablajan, Abdukerim was last seen at the Shisen Prison, which is the same prison many other victims were taken to at one point; including Nebi Eli, Imammemet Eli and Eysajan Emet. In spite of this, Ablajan was not able to track Abdukerim at this prison.

Abdukerim was still a newlywed when he disappeared in 2009. His father assures that Abdukerim was not involved with any of the activities that led to the unrest of 05 July. Nor did he take part in any of the protests or violence. The search for his son has led Ablajan to put a hold on his business in Kashgar. In addition, he has also depleted all of his assets and savings to compensate for the search. After years of unsuccessful searching, Ablajan and his family have resorted to contacting foreign media and expressed to Radio Free Asia that their only hope left is the help of the international community.

ABDULEZIZ ABLET Name: Abduleziz Ablet (阿不都艾则孜. 阿不来提) Age: 17 Place of birth: Artush, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession:Assistant chef Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Photo Unavailable Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Mother (Hajigul) and Father (Ablet) Informant(s): Mother (Hajigul) Ethnicity: Uyghur

Abduleziz Ablet’s family moved to Urumqi in 2000 and resided in a neighborhood in the Shinhuanenlu district. Abduleziz became an assistant chef at the Merwe Restaurant located in the Muhajirlar Hotel in DongKowruk district

According to Abduleziz’s parents, he left for work in the morning on 5 July 2009 and has not returned home since. On the day of his disappearance, Abduleziz’s father, Ablet, and his mother, Hajigul, went to look for him at the restaurant and learned that Abduleziz had disappeared from the restaurant after 1500 that day. Abduleziz’s parents then went to the local police station with this information, but were told that Abduleziz was not on the list of arrested suspects. Abduleziz’s family has heard nothing of his situation; they do not know whether or not he participated in the 5 July Urumqi unrest, nor do they know where he was taken and whether or not he is alive. Abduleziz’s mother later came across an unnamed chef who worked with her son at the Merwe Restaurant. She was told that the head chef of the restaurant was also taken away on 5 July along with her son. However, he refused to provide Hajigul with information beyond what she had received and he also denied that he knew anything of Abduleziz’s current situation. This head chef was later sent back to Korla by the government.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from reporter Shohret Hoshur of Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service. Including news programmes from 26 June 2012.

MEMET BARAT Name: Memet Barat (麦麦提. 巴拉提) Age: 25 Place of birth: Qarakash, Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China Profession: Unknown Date of capture: 6 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Mother and other family members Informant(s): Mother Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure.1 A photo of Memet Barat Memet Barat was arrested from his neighbourhood in Tashbulaq province, Urumqi the day after the 5 July incident along with fourteen of his neighbours. Although all fourteen of his neighbours were released within one to eight months after the incident, there is yet to be any news about Memet Barat.

To keep the families of disappeared victims quiet during national events, one of the common strategies used by the Chinese government has been to remove the families from the location of their interest. As the Euro-Asia Exhibition (an exhibition held in Urumqi) approached in August 2012, Memet Barat’s mother Sudihan Haji received a visit from a team of police officials, advising her to leave the City of Urumqi and return to Hotan until the end of the exhibition. The team of police officials was made up of police officers from Hotan’s Qaraqash Province, as well as Urumqi Bahuiliang Police Department. Sudihan Haji bravely refused and replied that she will not leave Urumqi until she hears about her son. Sudihan Haji informed Radio Free Asia that she faces the same harassments from the police whenever there is Figure. 2 An updated photo of Memet a special event coming up in Urumqi and during Uyghur Barat’s mother, Sudihan Haji holidays such as Eid. Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 14 May 2012 and 18 May 2012, 27 December 2012 07 May 2013, and 13 June 2013. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

MEMET BARAT

Memet Barat’s mother, Sudihan Haji has been relentlessly looking for her son after his disappearance. Despite the countless police stations and government offices that Sudihan has visited to inquire about her son Memet Barat, she has yet to hear anything about him. Instead, she has been forced to vacate her rental apartment as her punishment. Towards the end of 2012, Sudijan was forced to vacate her apartment in Altun Bulaq, a neighborhood in Urumqi. She has indicated that she was forced by the real estate company to vacate the apartment due to the constant pressure from the police. Radio Free Asia’s investigation shows that a few Uyghur police officers, Shawket and Kadir were involved with her eviction.

In an interview carried out by Radio Free Asia with Shawket, he denied using pressure on any real estate office. Instead, he claimed to have “suggested” to Sudihan that she abandon the search for he son and wait for the government to provide her with information on his whereabouts. Shawket admitted to not having any legitimate documents supporting the eviction of Sudijan Haji from the Chinese government.

Sudihan Haji was eventually forced to leave the City of Urumqi and go back to Hotan around June of 2013, as her landlord once again evicted her from her apartment. She revealed to Radio Free Asia that before her eviction, her landlord had implied multiple times that she should stop looking for her son because it brought him bureaucratic difficulties. Sudijan Haji is certain that the Police and other government offices used pressure both directly and indirectly on her landlord as well as her previous real estate agent to result in her evictions and eventual return to Hotan. She also indicated that although police officer Kadir offered to help her stay in Urumqi, he had also been involved in her eviction. Sudihan Haji was the owner of a scarf store in Urumqi, which she also had to give up upon her return to Hotan.

After her return to Hotan, the local police department suggested that she continue to wait for the news of her son from the government. The police also visited her home in Hotan and warned her against any communication with foreign media. They fabricated that the reporters she has been corresponding with are actually “terrorists” and “separatists,” and that she would face serious consequences should she decide to continue her communication with them.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 14 May 2012 and 18 May 2012, 27 December 2012 07 May 2013, and 13 June 2013. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ALIMJAN BEKRI Name: Alimjan Bekri （阿力木江. 拜克力） Age: 24 Place of birth: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Real Estate Agent Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Siblings and other family members Informant(s): Siblings Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Alimjan Bekri Alimjan Bekri was born and raised in Urumqi. He graduated from Urumqi City Experimental High School with honour rolls and passed his university exami nations with excellent scores. However, due to the financial instability his family was experiencing at the time, Alimjan Bekri was unable to continue his education and decided to enter the workforce. After struggling to find employment for some time, Alimjan finally found a job working for Dihua Real Estate Company in 2006. Alimjan found much success after gaining employment with the company; he was recognised as an exceptional employee by the company and was rewarded multiple times with company vacations as the result.

Alimjan’s siblings explained to Radio Free Asia that he had led a peaceful and normal lifestyle until the Shaoguan incident that took place in June 2009. Alimjan was deeply disturbed by what had happened in Southern China and felt uncomfortable with the injustice. Alimjan’s siblings also spoke of the many discussions Alimjan had with his friends about the injustice and indicated that Alimjan did in fact actively participate in the protest on 5 July 2009 to express his dissatisfaction with the ways the Shaoguan situation was handled.

Alimjan Bekri was last seen on 5 July 2012 around 0800 by a building labelled City Music Factory in Urumqi. Alimjan’s siblings have been relentlessly searching for their brother but have heard absolutely nothing on his whereabouts from the police of the government.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programme on 28 December2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

TAHIRJAN EBEY Name: Tahirjan Ebey （塔依尔江. 艾拜） Age: 36 Place of birth: Unknown, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Street Vendor (Food Cart) Photo Unavailable Date of capture: 07 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person who carried out the search: Mother Informant: Mother Ethnicity: Uyghur On the morning of 07 July 2009, Tahirjan Ebey left to work pushing his food cart just as he would any other day. Unfortunately, he never returned home and his family is certain that on the same day he was forcibly disappeared by the Chinese authorities. Tahirjan was a husband and a father of 2 young children. Through hard work, he found ways to provide for his family and take care of his mother.

Tahirjan Ebey’s mother, Hepizem, is an elderly woman who has been a widow since the age of 33. Hepizem worked day and night as a janitor to raise Tahirjan and his younger sister, who were only 8 and 5 at the time of their father’s death. Unfortunately in few years before the 5 July incident, Hapizem’s daughter became involved with drugs in mainland China. Tajirjan was all Hepizem had to rely on for support both financially and emotionally.

Tahirjan’s mother relentlessly searched for her son after his disappearance. She went to multiple government offices and police stations innumerous times looking for answers about Tahirjan. Instead of assisting Hapizem with her search, the police department asked her for proof of his arrest. “No one came out of their homes those days because they were afraid for their own safety, how could I possibly find proof/witnesses to prove that they took my son?” cried Hapizem to Radio Free Asia. In response to the police’s unreasonable request, Hapizem reminded them of the heavy handed tactics that they used on Uyghurs following the 5 July incident, including the fact that almost every Uyghur seen on the streets was interrogated or arrested.“ In the following days of 5 July 2009, police enforcers were on the streets of Urumqi arresting random bypassing Uyghurs merely for the fact that they were Uyghurs. That fact alone is my proof and I have countless Uyghurs who witnessed such events”, Hapizem angrily told Radio Free Asia. Still the police refused to help Hapizem or disclose any information about her son. A few even suggested that Tahirjan might have “escaped abroad,” a statement that Hapizem believes to be ridiculous due to her son’s finite income. “Plus, he would never do such a thing and leave his family and me”, Hapizem stated confidently. Tahirjan’s mother is now left taking care of his two children as well as her daughter's 3 children. With 5 children by her side, Hapizem is running out of options and resources required to continue her search for Tahirjan.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programme on 12 October 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

IMAMMEMET ELI Name: Imammemet Eli (伊马木麦麦提 . 艾力) Age: 22 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Recent graduate from South China University of Technology, anticipating to start a new career at the time of capture. Date of capture: 14 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: September 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Mother (Patigul Eli) Informant(s): Mother Ethnicity: Uyghur Figure. 1 A photo of Imammemet Eli According to Imammemet Eli’s mother, P atigul Ghulam Eli, Imammemet Eli had initially joined the 5 July protest in Urumqi, but had stopped participating when the situation became violent. Imammemet Eli was arrested along with four of his friends while playing billiards just over a week after the unrest, his friends were gradually released over the next six months, but there is yet to be any news about Imammemet.

Patigul Eli Ghulam, Imammemet’s mother began to search for her son in the first week of September. Patigul assumed that her son would be released after interrogations and police investigations, but began her search when she received no word of her son for nearly two months. Patigul travelled to both local police departments and regional detention centres on multiple occasions. She has also contacted the central government in Beijing, but she received either false information or none at all from authorities about her son’s situation. She has also spent eight days in a detention centre facility after reportedly insulting a police officer who would not listen to her pleas.

Later in 2010, two former cell-mates of Immamemet Eli provided Patigul with information about her son. Both witnesses (Gheyret and Abduraxman) revealed that Imammemet had been interrogated many times and had been tortured on occasions. Abduraxman told Patigul that Immamemet was unwilling to eat and sometimes vomited. Despite his poor health condition, he was still interrogated and tortured by the police to the point of not being able to stand after an interrogation. One of the former cell-mates said that sometime in mid-August 2009, Imammemet was taken to the hospital and never returned.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 11 May 2012, 14 May 2012, 25 May 2012, 4 June 2012, 13 July 2012, 01 August 2012, 05 December 2012, 14 December 2012, 15 February 2013 and 15 March 2013. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

IMAMMEMET ELI

All Patigul asks for is for the authorities to release information on her son. “I never asked them to release my son. I never asked them for justice either. I only asked them to tell me where my son is,” she said. Instead, all that has resulted from her countless pleas and petitions was constant surveillance from the Chinese authorities, who also persistently try to dissuade her from her inquiries. “One police officer stays in front of my door at all times to watch me. There are three- they change every four hours. They go with me when I do my shopping and they wait for me outside when I visit someone’s house,” Patigul tells RFA-Uyghur service, “their job is to prevent me from petitioning.”

Patigul said that she is not alone in missing a family member after the 5 July incident. “I could name at least 30 families I have met in front of government offices or police stations while attempting to get information about my case,” she said. But Patigul knows that the number of families with a missing relative is beyond those she has met. Wang Mingshan, a chief official of the Urumqi Public Security Department told Patigul that he had received more than 300 requests to track down missing Uyghurs following the July 2009 unrest, as of March 2011. Patigul Ghulam has also shared a story with Radio Free Asia of her encounter with a Uyghur taxi cab driver who has lost a brother to the post July 5th incident arrests. The taxi cab driver who refused to share his name with Patigul, cried to her about his brother, as well as his family’s inability to search for him due to their fear of the Chinese government. “It saddens me to see so many families give up the search for their missing relatives, simply because they want to protect their remaining relatives from the Chinese government”.

Imammemet Eli is a close relative of Ismayil Tiliwaldi, who was chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region from 2003- 2007 and is currently a Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Despite Patigul’s pleas to Ismayil Tiliwaldi in hopes that he could help her through the influence that his power and position affords, Mr Tiliwaldi has been no help at all in finding Imammemet Eli.

Not only did Imammemet’s family receive no help from the government, like many other families who are in search of their missing relatives, they have endured almost every type of harassment and injustice from government officials. Following is a simple yet powerful story that demonstrates the hardship faced by Patigul with every level of government officials in her journey to search for her son. In 2011, after waiting for 2 years to hear about her son’s fate and his whereabouts, Imammemet’s mother Patigul Ghulam finally made her way to Beijing with 7 other Uyghurs who have also lost a family member to plea to the national government. Her hopes of receiving assistance from the national government in Beijing were destroyed about a week after their arrival in Beijing, when 30 plus Xinjiang police officers and Xinjiang government officials followed them to their destination. In order to convince Patigul and relatives of other missing victims to board the train back to Urumqi, the officials deceived them by promising to release information on the missing victims upon their arrival in Urumqi.

IMAMMEMET ELI

Their deception was apparent not too long after the train began moving, when the Chinese officials forced them out of their first class seats and escorted them to the back of the train. After a long train ride of mistreatments, the family members were taken to be interrogated right away after arriving in Urumqi. Also present on this journey to Beijing were Abaxun Sopur’s wife Reyhangul and Alimjan Helaji’s father Helaji.

About 2 years later, Imammemet’s mother encounter one of the higher government officials who was responsible for escorting her back from Beijing to Urumqi. After her persistent demands for information about her son, this particular government official confessed to a new strategy being employed by the government and indicated that he must comply. This government official revealed that in a recent meeting in Beijing, the Deputy Chairman of Xinjiang Autonomous Region proposed to handle the situation of disappeared victims in the same manner as “escaped prisoners.” This strategy included the police notifying family members of disappeared victims that their missing relative may have escaped the government prison or have escaped to foreign territories. Patigul Ghulam has indeed been told of such distorted truth previously; In July 2012, several police officers have told Patigul that a handful of prisoners and suspects of 5 July incident escaped from prison and some even abroad, suggesting the possibility of Imammemet being one of them. Patigul furiously rejected this claim and pointing out that her son was brutally beaten while being held at the Michuen Detention Center before being taken away from medical treatment. Therefore she argued, there was no possible way that he could have escaped.

Financial instability has been one of the many obstacles Imammemet’s family has faced since his disappearance. Patigul informed Radio Free Asia that before Imammemet’s disappearance, he had saved some money in his bank account. Despite the financial struggles the family has faced and Patigul’s countless trips to the bank and government offices, she has not been able to claim the money. Shortly after the beginning of the year in 2013, Patigul Ghulam was asked to appear in court for her inability to pay her heating bills. Patigul patiently explained her situation when she appeared in court; she has spent all her time and money for the past 4 years looking for her son, and this has left her jobless. The authorities responded that paying her heating bills is her responsibility and that if she is jobless and broke, that was entirely her decision. Notwithstanding her appeal or her explanations, the court granted her one month to pay the amount she owed.

In 2012, the Chinese national security enforcement threatened her multiple times because of her constant communication with Radio Free Asia. They have repeatedly warned her that the reporter she has been talking to, Shohret Hoshur, is in fact not a reporter, but a “terrorist and a separatist.” Police officials have also threatened to arrest her should she continue her communication with “terrorists.” Patigul Ghulam, a desperate and fearless mother, responded by demanding information on her son in exchange for her silence. “Disconnect my phone if you can, shoot me if you want. I will not give up the search for my son nor will I stop talking to those who are helping me,” she responded to them.

IMAMMEMET ELI Despite the constant threats and harassments from the police and Chinese government officials, Imammemet Eli’s mother Patigul Ghulam never gave up the search for her son nor her communications with foreign media in the past 4 years. However, in March 2013, she corresponded with Radio Free Asia for the last time and suggested that it would be the last conversation with foreign reporters for a while. On 13 March 2013, five highly ranked police officials from the Chinese National Security Enforcement took her to their office for questioning. Although this was not the first time she has been interrogated, she was faced with a much more serious threat this time. The much higher ranked police officials advised her to discontinue her communication with any foreign media in regards to Imammemet Eli and his disappearance. She was given a much more serious warning this time about the criminal charges she would face should she not comply. Once again Patigul Ghulam demanded for information about her son in exchange for her silence, but they told her that they were merely responsible for issues concerning national security and not about the disappeared victims.

Fig. 2 Patigul Eli, Imammemetʼs Fig. 3 A photo of Imammemet Eliʼs Figure. 4 A photo of Imammemet Mother in an updated photo University Diploma Eliʼs High School Diploma

Figure. 5 A family photo of Figure. 6 A photo of Imammemet Figure. 6 A photo of Imammemet Imammemet Eli when Imammemet and his girlfriend and his siblings was a child

NEBI ELI Name: Nebi Eli (乃比. 艾力) Age: 16 Place of birth: Qaraqash Province, Hotan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Student Date of capture: 15 August 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: August 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Father (Elijan Rozi) and other family members Informant(s): Father (Elijan Rozi) Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Nebi Eli Nebi Eli is one of the youngest missing victims after the 5 July 2009 incident in Urumqi. Nebi was last seen by his father Elijan Rozi, parading in the streets of Urumqi on 15 August 2009 with several other detainees. They were surrounded by about thirty armed police personnel and were later forcefully taken away in a police vehicle. Elijan Rozi witnessed this as the police forced his son, Nebi, into the police vehicle while kicking and beating him. Despite his countless attempts to inquire about his son’s fate, Elijan Rozi has been rejected or been told false information by the Chinese officials. Nebi’s family made over 30 trips between Qaraqash and Urumqi looking for Nebi. Additionally, Elijan and his wife carried out 3 attempts to go to Beijing to appeal to government offices. In two out of the three attempts he was caught by police officials and was forced to terminate his trip.

Nebi Eli’s parents have depleted all of their assets to compensate for the expenses incurred while searching for their son. Nebi’s family owned a restaurant in the Chinese City of Xi’an and multiple mobile and electronics stores in Urumqi. They sold their restaurant as well as their stores in Urumqi to pay for the expenses incurred. Expenses incurred include transportation and lodging costs related to their multiple trips between Qaraqash and Urumqi, their trips to Beijing and the Chinese City of Yiwu. All trips were made to either search for Nebi based on tips they received, or to appeal to government offices. The family has also depleted a portion of their assets to bribe government officials for information on Nebi’s whereabouts, but clearly did not succeed in obtaining the correct information. Eventually, Nebi’s family had to sell their farmland in Qaraqash to continue the search. Nebi’s father told Radio Free Asia that the overall cost of searching for his con has been well over ¥500,000. Nebi’s father planned to go to Aksu to earn an income through small businesses after the drying up their assets and savings, but he was stopped by the Qaraqash Police Department.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 14 May 2012, 28 June 2012, 25 July 2012 05 12 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

NEBI ELI

In June 2012, Nebi Eli’s father revealed to Radio Free Asia that the Qaraqash province police department approached the family that Nebi had escaped the prison and that there was a chance he may have escaped abroad. They also claimed that they were still looking for Nebi and for his family to inform them immediately if they hear from him. Nebi’s father rejects this claim and indicates that Nebi had no financial means or resources to escape abroad. The head of the Qaraqash police department discretely agreed with Nebi’s father and admitted although he wasn’t convinced that disappeared victims have escaped, that was nonetheless the orders from above.

EYSAJAN EMET

Name: Eysajan Emet (艾沙江. 艾买提) Age: 25 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Chef/Musician Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Wife (Toxtigul) Informant(s): Wife, mother and friends Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Eysajan Emet O riginally from Kashgar, Eysajan Emet moved to Urumqi in 2008 after marrying Toxtigul. Eysajan Memet was a chef at the Eighty-Eighth Middle School in Urumqi, but he was better known for his musical talents among his peers. On 5 July 2009, Eysajan Emet and his wife were arrested from the streets of Urumqi where they were caught in the middle of the unrest. His wife Toxtigul was freed later that day due to her pregnancy, but Eysajan was kept at the detention centre and since then there has been no news about his case. Eysajan’s friends and acquaintances speak very highly of both his musical talents and his personal characters. They have been on a mission to find Eysajan since his disappearance, arriving at a cul-de-sac each time. His friends and family, including his two year old daughter - whom he has never seen - are eagerly waiting for the news of his fate.

Eysajan’s mother reported to Radio Free Asia in June 2012 of the numerous visits she has received from the police department. Each of their visits consisted of interrogations and threats because of her communication with foreign media. Police officials also pointed out that many of the prisoners arrested after 5 July 2009 have escaped out of prison, including some who have escaped abroad. Eysajan’s mother Tursungul was furious with this false claim and argued that her son had no financial means or a passport to escape abroad, and that it was virtually impossible for any Uyghur prisoner to escape the prisons of the heavy-handed state.

Eysanjan’s mother, Tursungul is also relentlessly searching for her son. Despite being an elderly single woman, Tursungul has made multiple trips to government offices inquiring about her son. Due to the expenses incurred while searching for her son, Tursungul was forced to sell all the valuable goods in her house in addition to the jewelry she owned. In July 2012, she indicated to Radio Free Asia that she is thinking about selling her house.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programs on 14 May 2012, 30 May 2012, 28 June 2012 and 25 July 2012. Programs reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

EYSAJAN EMET

Figure. 2 A photo of Eysajan Emet’s Figure. 3 A photo of Eysajan Emet’s mother Identification Card

Figure. 4 A photo of Eysajan Emet’s wife Figure. 2 A photo of Eysajan Emet’s daughter

ABDUGHENI EZIZ

Name: Abdugheni Eziz (阿不都艾尼. 艾则孜) Age: 39 Place of birth: Qaraqash province Hotan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Entrepreneur Date of capture: 31 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: August 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Brother (Rozimemet Eziz) and other family members Informant(s): Brother (Rozimemet Eziz) Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Abdugheni Eziz Bo rn in Hotan in 1970, Abdugheni Eziz moved to Urumqi in 1997 and joined the Chinese Communist Party in 2006. Abdugheni Eziz became an entrepreneur in Urumqi as well as a loyal Communist Party member. Abdugheni had closed his business on the day of the incident (5 July 2009) so that he could willingly cooperate with the police officers who were enforcing orders on the streets of Urumqi that day. He also showed them hospitality by offering them water and fruits. Unfortunately, despite his hospitality and his party membership, Abdugheni was arrested at the end of that month.

On 31 July 2009, seven Chinese police officers came to his home in Urumqi and arrested Abdugheni Eziz, without disclosing any viable reasons. These police officers also confiscated his car and robbed him of 2600 Yuan cash that was on his person. A friend of Abdugheni Eziz, Mewlan Zeridin, was also arrested at the time, subsequently being released 5 months later. Abdugheni’s brother Rozimemet has made more than twenty trips to Urumqi since the arrest, as well as petitioning all levels of governmental offices in Urumqi. Chinese authorities not only refused to disclose information about his case, but also denied Abdugheni’s party membership. Abdugheni Eziz’s father Abduleziz passed away on 24 October 2010 as he was no longer able to live with the burden of a missing son, his mother is currently very ill.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 6 June 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ABDUGHENI EZIZ

Figure. 2 A photo of the petition written by Rozimemet Eziz to the Chinese government officials

AYTQAZI HASANBEK

Name: Aytqazi Hasanbek (阿伊提卡孜.艾山别克) Age: 26 Place of birth: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Recent graduate from Forestry Designing Institute, still in search of a job Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Photo Unavailable Place of capture: Tianshan region, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Mother (Amine) and other family members Informant(s): Sister Ethnicity: Kazakh

Aytqzi’s sister informed Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service that her brother had left the house on the day of the 5 July incident, though he was not involved in any protests or riots. Aytqazi came across police officers on the street who were arresting young Uyghur males. Reports suggest that he was arrested due to the fact that his physical appearance and clothing bore many resemblances to those of the aforementioned young Uyghur men. At approximately 1900 that day, Aytqazi called home to his mother and told her that he was being held at the local Bahulyang Police Department. Aytqazi also told his mother that he was arrested without any legitimate reasons and that he would be let go once the police sees he is innocent.

Aytqazi Hasanbek’s family members made their way to the local Bahulyang Police Department to look for him. The officials at the police department explained to Aytqazi’s family that all those who were captured from that particular region (Tianshan region) on 5 July were immediately sent to a special detention centre, but the exact name or location of such detention centre is unknown. They also told Aytqazi’s family that because the captured victims were sent away immediately, they were unable to record the names of those victims. Aytqazi’s retired mother continues to search for him every day through all levels of governmental organizations, but she gets the same answer every time. Aytqazi’s mother vouches for his innocence and she is convinced that the only reason he was arrested was because he looked like a Uyghur.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 14 May 2012 and 22 May 2012. Programs reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service.

TOHTIELI HASHIM Name: TohtiEli Hashim （图合提. 阿西木） Age: 21 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Restaurant Associate Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Photo Unavailable Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Brothers and other family members Informant(s): Brother Ethnicity: Uyghur

TohtiEli Hashim was born in Kashgar in 1988. After graduating high school in Kashgar, TohtiEli left for Urumqi looking for employment opportunities. In February 2009, TohtiEli began working at a Dungan/Hui restaurant located in Urumqi near Xinjiang University. The restaurant which TohtiEli Hashim was working at the time is owned by a Dungan/Hui name Sulayman Kadir, who informed TohtiEli’s family of his tragedy.

On 6 July 2009, TohtiEli’s family in Kashgar received a phone call from the owner of the restaurant where TohtiEli was working at the time. The restaurant owner, Sulayman indicated that TohtiEli had been shot on his way home from the restaurant after work. He also asked for the family to come to Urumqi immediately. When TohtiEli’s brother asked Sulayman on the phone about the details of what had happened, the phone was disconnected. TohtiEli’s family made their way to the bus station and was on their way to Urumqi right away. However, when they reached a small town named Ulambay outside the City of Urumqi, police officers stopped the bus and notified that no one is allowed to enter Urumqi for the next 10 to 12 days.

About a week later, TohtiEli’s brother and mother managed to make their way to Urumqi and went to the restaurant to look for him straight away. To their surprise, Sulayman Kadir’s attitude had changed drastically from the time they spoke on the phone. The owner of the small Dungan restaurant denied ever knowing what had happened to TohtiEli Hashim, including his conversation on the phone with TohtiEli’s family. After the family’s persistent questioning, Sulayman simply answered, “We were walking down the street together when TohtiEli disappeared all of a sudden, and I have no clue what happened or where he is now.” Since then, Sulayman refused to help the family and insisted that they don’t bother him any longer.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programme 28 February 2013. Programs reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service.

TOHTIELI HASHIM

Radio Free Asia attempted to carry out their investigation on this case and contacted Sulayman Kadir, but Sulayman Kadir refused to provide any information on TohtiEli claiming that “it was too long ago” and that “he doesn’t remember anymore.”

TohtiEli Hashim’s family made trips to Urumqi multiple times afterwards and visited various government organizations to inquire about TohtiEli. Unfortunately after many unsuccessful attempts, the family was forced to stall the search due to financial difficulties and the poor health of TohtiEli’s mother. TohtiEli is one of the two sons who disappeared in the family.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programme 28 February 2013. Programs reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service.

ALIMJAN HELAJI Name: Alimjan Helaji (阿里木江. 海阿洁) Age: 17 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Street fruit vendor Date of capture: 10 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person who carried out the search: Mother(Kurbangul) and other family members Informant: Mother (Kurbangul) Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Alimjan Helaji At the beginning of June 2012, Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service contacted Alimjan Helaji’s family and informants of his case for an inquiry about their safety and well-being. It has been reported to Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service that after the initial interview about Alimjan Helaji’s situation, the informant(s) and/or family member(s) has/have been questioned by multiple Chinese police officers and officials in regards to their recent phone calls and conversations about Alimjan Helaji. Chinese officials have also demanded the informant(s) and/or family member(s) to discontinue Figure.2 An updated photo of Figure. 3 A photo of Alimjan their communications with any media Alimjan Helaji’s father Helaji’s mother, Kurbangul Mijit station or reporter in regards to the case of Alimjan Helaji.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 14 May 2012, 18 May 2012, 4 June 2012, 29 March 2013, 07 May 2013 and 21 August 2013. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ALIMJAN HELAJI

In March of 2013, Kurbangul Mijit, Alimjan Helaji’s mother informed Radio Free Asia that she has been followed by the police everywhere she went starting 2009 when she began her search for her son. Kurbangul Mijit also indicated that she has to ask for permission from the police officers following her whenever she needs to attend a social gathering. A police officer has been assigned to drive her when she goes to social gatherings such as weddings and funerals. In the event that she utilizes public transportation, she is always followed by an undercover police car. She has been embarrassed at events and in public, due to the poor treatment she receives from the police officers following her. Fed up with the 24 hour surveillance and constant harassment from the police, Kurbangul Mijit vented to Radio Free Asia “why don’t they follow criminals instead of mothers who are searching for their children.”

To keep the families of disappeared victims quiet during national events, one of the common strategies used by the Chinese government has been to remove the families from the location of their interest. As the Euro-Asia Exhibition (an exhibition held in Urumqi) approached in August 2012, Alimjan Helaji’s parents informed Radio Free Asia of the forceful ways utilized by the Chinese government to remove them from the City of Urumqi. Appearing at the door steps of Helaji and Kurbangul’s house in mid-August, the Urumqi City police officials forewarned them that Kashgar police officers were on their way to escort them back to Kashgar for a few weeks until the event was over. Kurbangul explained that she has a business in Urumqi and that leaving for Kashgar would not only mean unnecessary transportation expense, but it would also cost her business. When Alimjan’s father Helaji refused to go back to Kashgar and argued that as a citizen, he had the rights to live wherever he pleased but he was taken for detention. Helaji announced that he will continue to stay in Urumqi and search for his son regardless of the consequences he may face, even if it means being arrested, detained or murdered. Alimjan Helji’s mother Kurbangul also notified Radio Free Asia that this was not the first time for the government officials to harass her family into leaving Urumqi, and that it has happened multiple times in the past especially during Eid-Ramadan and events that may attract foreign media.

Just as the relatives of other missing victims who have corresponded with Radio Free Asia, Kurbangul has also been threatened for communicating for foreign media. In May 2013, she informed Radio Free Asia of the police officials who warned her against communicating with foreign reporters. Police officials from the National Security Enforcement told her that the reporter she has been speaking with is actually a “terrorist” and a “separatist.” Additionally, they threatened to arrest her should she continue communicating with Radio Free Asia or any other foreign media outlet. “I will not stop talking to them until you tell me where my son is,” she rebelled. After constantly demanding for information about her son’s whereabouts, the police officials finally told her that she will hear from the government by April 2014. Although the National Security Enforcement has previously admitted to families of disappeared victims that they are only waiting for permission from above officials to release the information about all victims, they told Kurbangul that they have yet to hear anything about her son. “One can’t cut a tree without a legitimate reason around here, how can they take away people without one?” Kurbangul cried to Radio Free Asia. “As humans, we don’t even get the same respect as the trees”. Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 14 May 2012, 18 May 2012, 4 June 2012, 29 March 2013, 07 May 2013 and 21 August 2013. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

NURUL ISLAM Name: Nurul Islam （努尔勒. 伊斯拉姆） Age: 16 Place of birth: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Student Date of capture: 27 August 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: August 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Mother and family Informant(s): Imammemet’s mother, Patigul Ghulam Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Nurul Islam Radio Free Asia- Uyghur learned about Nurul Islam’s death in October 2012. Patigul Ghulam, mother of the missing victim Imammemet Eli (included in this report) told Radio Free Asia about what she has learned about Nurul during his funeral. Nurul Islam was 18 when he passed away in 2011 in the hands of the police. According to what Nurul Islam’s mother, Pasha Dawut, Nurul Islam was arrested shortly after the 5 July incident in 2009. It is unclear how long Pasha Dawut searched for her son before she found where he was being detained. Police officials told Pasha Dawut that her son was being detained for political education purposes and that he would be released upon the completion of the programme.

Pasha Dawut was later informed by the police that Nurul Islam had carried out a hunger strike in prison and that he was being treated at a hospital. Upon her arrival at the hospital, Pasha Dawut saw the poor condition her son was in and realised that her son was in fact being tortured in prison. Police officials claimed that the poor condition Nurul Islam was in was entirely due to his refusal to eat. Pasha Dawut was forced to leave the hospital soon after, despite her request to spend the night with her son. The next day, she was informed of Nurul Islam’s death.

Government officials refused to return Nurul’s body to his family for a traditional Uyghur burial. The family was forced to carry out Nurul’s funeral under strict supervision of government officials at a government designated mosque. Nurul Islam was related to a handful of regional government officials, including the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region’s business and finance official Dawut Kurban, Urumqi City Police Department official Qadir Memet. Despite his close relations to these officials, Nurul Islam was still a victim of the heavy-handed state after the 5 July Urumqi incident.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programs on 16 October 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

EHMETJAN JUME Name: Ehmetjan Jume （艾合麦提江. 居麦） Age: 26 Place of birth: Qaraqash, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Street vendor (dried fruits) Date of capture: 27 August 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: August 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Father and wife Informant(s): Father Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Ehmetjan Jume Ehmejan Jume was born in 1983 in Qaraqash Province of Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang Autonomous Region. He moved to Urumqi in 1993 and made a living through selling dried fruits as a street vendor. Ehmetjan Jume was arrested on the night of 27 August 2009 from the Saybagh Regional Evening Bazaar, where he was selling dried fruits. According to Ehmetjan Jume’s father, there are at least 5 people who witnessed Ehmetjan’s arrest on that night.

For the past 3 years, Ehmetjan Jume’s wife and father have been to almost every police department and local government offices in both Urumqi and Qaraqash. In June 2012, Ehmetjan’s father reported to Radio Free Asia that they have spent at least ¥50,000 to date looking for him. Despite the numerous trips the family has made to police stations and government offices of both cities, they were unable to obtain any information on Ehmetjan. In fact, the police denied ever arresting him and recently claimed that there’s a possibility he might have escaped abroad. Ehmetjan’s father refused to accept this and indicated that there is no chance that his son had the means or the intentions of ever running away abroad. After talking to a number of family members, Radio Free Asia revealed that the Chinese government began to rely on a new strategy starting June 2012, in which they tell families of disappeared victims that they have escaped out of prison, likely to a foreign country. In addition, when Radio Free Asia attempted to reach one of the police officer who has been this lie, the police officer refused to speak with them.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programs on 28 June 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

AMANTAY JUMETAY Name: Amantay Jumetay (阿曼塔依. 居买台) Age: 39 Place of birth: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Bus driver at the Transportation Department of Urumqi Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Father and other family members Informant(s): Father (Jumetay) Ethnicity: Kazakh

Figure.1 A photo of Amantay Jumetay A mantay’s father, Jumetay, reached out to Radio Free Asia in order to relay information to them about his son. He explained that he knows very little about the exact time and location of Amantay’s arrest, or the reasons behind his disappearance. However, Jumetay did say that on the evening of 5 July 2009, Amantay had come to visit his parents to ensure their safety, after which Amantay had left to visit his sister. Amantay never made it to his sister’s house and he has been missing since. Jumetay suspects that Amantay was taken whilst en route to his sister’s house. Jumetay and his entire family have been searching for Amantay through all levels of governmental institutions since his disappearance. Amantay’s wife, an owner of a medical clinic in Kazakhstan, has been to Urumqi on multiple occasions to search for her husband to no avail.

Figure. 2 Photo of Amantay, his wife and their child Figure. 3 Photo of Amantay’s parents

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programs on 14 May 2012 and 22 May 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ZAKIR MEMET Name: Zakir Memet (扎克尔. 麦麦提) Age: 34 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Unknown Date of capture: 15 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: Unknown Person(s) who carried out the search: Unknown Informant(s): Zakir’s sister Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure.1 A photo of Zakir Memet A bout 2 weeks after the unrest, Zakir Memet was arrested from his neighborhood in Urumqi (Bulak Beshi 2nd St). Zakir Memet was arrested together with Muxter Mexet. No further information had been disclosed until late 2012. Zakir Memet’s father informed Radio Free Asia that he was still searching for Zakir. He has been consistently going to the local police department and government authorities to get answers on his son’s whereabouts.

In November 2012, the police department of the Kashgar (Yengi Sheher town) Police department paid a visit to the parents of Zakir Memet and collected blood samples from them. The government officials did not disclose the reason for the collection of blood samples. Zakir Memet’s parents were under the impression that the blood samples collected from them would be sent to higher government officials. They hoped that by cooperating with the government and allowing them to draw blood samples, they were contributing to the search of Zakir Memet. Unfortunately, they have yet to hear anything about their son till this day. Figure.2 A photo of Zakir Memet’s wife and children

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programs on 11 May 2012, 14 May 2012 and 30 November 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

MUXTER MEXET Name: Muxter Mexet (穆合塔尔. 麦麦提) Age: 35 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Unknown Date of capture: 15 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur AutonomousRegion of China Date when search began: Unknown Person(s) who carried out the search: Unknown Informant(s): Unknown Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Muxter Mexet A pproximately 2 weeks after the 5 July Urumqi unrest, Muxter Mexet was arrested from his neighbourhood in Urumqi (Bulak Beshi 2nd St). Muxter Mexet was arrested together with Zakir Memet. No further information has been disclosed.

Figure. 3 An updated photo of Figure.2 A photo of Muxter Mexet’s son Muxter Mexet’s wife, Aypasha

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 11 May 2012 and 14 May 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service.

IMIN MOMIN Name: Imin Momin （伊明. 木明） Age: 28 Place of birth: Unknown, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Construction Worker Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Photo Unavailable Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person who carried out the search: Sister and wife Informant: Sister Ethnicity: Uyghur

Imin Momin disappeared on the night of 5 July 2009 while he was walking home after work. After getting off work that night, Imin Momin and 3 of his peers decided to walk home after work when they realised that the public transportation system was terminated for the day due to the violence on the streets. While walking, they were warned by a bystander about the violence and random arrests happening on the streets ahead. Subsequently, the four peers split up to go their separate ways since walking in a group would seem suspicious in the eyes of the police. Immediately after their separation, the four were arrested. One of the four men arrested was sentenced to 17 years in prison, while the other two were released after a few months; but nothing has been heard of about Imin Momin’s whereabouts.

Unable to bear losing his son, Imin Momin’s father passed away not too long after his disappearance. His sister and wife have carried out the search since. They have visited many government offices and police stations, but all government officials they have contacted denied having any record of Imin Momin. Only one police revealed having seen Imin Momin being interrogated. Nothing else has been revealed of Imin Momin. Imin Momin’s sister indicated to Radio Free Asia that he never took part in any of the protests. Imin Momin’s sister and wife are left to look after his 6 year old son, while searching for him at the same time. After losing the bread-earner of the family, the two women have been working multiple odd jobs and have experienced extreme financial difficulties.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programme on 25 September 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent for Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

TURGHUN OBULQASIM Name: Turghun Obulqasim (吐尔洪. 乌不力哈斯木) Age: 33 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Restaurant manager/cook at the Medina Restaurant located within the Urumqi-based Huaqiao Hotel ( “Muhajirlar” Hotel in Uyghur language). Date of capture: 9 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: 9 July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Hotel manager Salfurat and Turghun Obulqasim’s wife Merhaba Informant(s): Merhaba and Salfarat Figure. 1 A photo of Turghun Obulqasim and his family Ethnicity: Uyghur I n an interview with Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service, Salfurat, a Pakistani manager of the Urumqi based Huaqiao Hotel (Muhajirlar Hotel) revealed that on 9 July 2009 Turghun Obulqasim and four other employees of the Medina restaurant were taken away by a group of Chinese police officers without any clarification of the charges. Four of the five victims taken from the Medina restaurant were released within a few months following the arrest, but Turghun Obulqasim’s whereabouts remain unclear.

Medina is one of the four restaurants located within the Huaqiao Hotel, the other three restaurants being Miran Restaurant, Tashkent Restaurant, and Elqesir Restaurant. According to Salfurat, more than 70 employees of these four restaurants were arrested on 9 July 2009. Salfurat did not disclose information regarding the situation of other captured victims, except for Turghun Obulqasim.

Salfurat explained that he had locked the doors of the restaurant on the day of the incident (5 July 2009) to avoid any involvement of his employees and customers in the mayhem on the streets. Concerned for the safety of his employees, Salfurat also allowed his employees to stay at the hotel instead of sending them home for the next three days. The day his employees were taken into custody (9 July 2009), Salfurat immediately began searching for them. He subsequently learned that Turghun was taken to Lyudawan Police Station in Urumqi. Concerned, Salfurat then reached out to some police officer friends in order to send 500 Yuan (around $80) to Turghun in case of emergency. Two days later, Salfurat went back to Lyudawan Police Station to check on the status of Turghun’s situation, but which time he was told that Turghun was no longer kept there and his current location remains unknown.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 9 May 2012 and 14 May 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent for Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

TURGHUN OBULQASIM

Puzzled by the situation, Salfurat continued his search for Turghun in various police stations and governmental institutions. However, his search was put to an end when some Chinese police officers became suspicious of Salfurat’s intentions and interrogated him. Following the interrogation, the local Chinese authority demanded for Salfurat to discontinue his search for Turghun Obulqasim. When Salfurat was unable to continue his search for Turghun Obulqasim, he committed himself to assist Turghun’s unemployed wife Merhaba and their two year old child by providing them with at least 600 Yuan every month. Salfurat also encouraged Merhaba to continue looking for Turghun.

Merhaba and their 2 year old child have been searching for Turghan during the last three years. They have tirelessly appealed to governmental institutions of all levels repeatedly. Unfortunately, there has been no news at all about Turghun’s situation till this day regarding his current whereabouts, whether he is dead or alive, and his future or his current condition. Both Salfurat and Merhaba vouch for the innocence of Turghun and ask the authorities to release information of Turghun’s situation.

ABLIZ QADIR Name: Abliz Qadir (阿布力孜. 卡德尔） Age: 36 Place of birth: Yarkent, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Baker Date of capture: 1 August 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: September 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Wife Informant(s): Wife (Amina) Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Abliz Qadir Abliz Qadir was born in 1973 in Yarkent County of Kashgar, East Turkestan. Abliz moved to Urumqi in the 1990’s and made a living through small business and trades. In 2000, he married Amina and the two of them had 3 children. Upon starting a family, Abliz became a baker at a local bakery in Urumqi.

Abliz Qadir’s wife Amina informed Radio Free Asia that when protests broke out in Urumqi on 5 July 2009, Abliz had gone back to Yarkent to visit his sick brother who was in the hospital at the time. In fact, Abliz had been in Yarkent since June 2009 and returned to Urumqi on 18 July 2009. On 1 August 2009, Abliz Qadir was arrested along with his two Figure. 2 A photo of Abliz Qadir’s children mentees from a local nan-bakery where they worked, located in the Seybagh neighborhood of Urumqi. About 7 months later, both of his mentees were released from prison but nothing has been heard of Abliz Qadir. His two mentees spoke to Amina after their release and told her that the three of them were separated 3 days after their arrests. Later, Amina also found out that while Abliz’s family was never contact by the police, the relatives of Abliz’s two mentees were contacted by police officials arrest 4 days after their arrest.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programme on 10 May 2013. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ABLIZ QADIR

Amina stayed in Urumqi for about a year after Abliz’s disappearance but had to eventually return to Yarkent due to financial difficulties. Amina intensively searched for her husband during her time in Urumqi. She persistently visited the local Seybagh Police Department, who admitted to arresting Abliz Qadir but claims to have released him after sometime. According to Amina, Seybagh Police Department had no recording proving the release of her husband. Amina also indicates that she was kicked out of the police station once and for all after she demanded for documents proving the release of her husband. Amina has also tried pleading to Urumqi City Police Department and other government offices for information but was unsuccessful. The Urumqi city government officials told Amina that any information regarding a detainee or prisoner after the 5 July Urumqi incident would be forwarded to the government and police offices of their hometown.

After returning to Yarkent, Amina continued her search for Abliz by visiting any and all government offices and local police stations. “Where else could I go with my three young children?”, cried Amina, to Radio Free Asia. Police and government offices in Yarkent have been insisting that they have yet to receive any news about Abliz from the Urumqi city officials, and that Amina should best contact the officials in Urumqi herself. Amina has yet to hear anything else about Abliz Qadir till this day.

Figure. 3 A photo of Abliz Qadir’s Family

ABDUREHIM QADIR Name: Abdurehim Qadir （阿布德热伊木. 卡德尔） Age: 45 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Blacksmith Date of capture: 6 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Wife and daughter Informant(s): Wife Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure.1 A photo of Abdurehim Qadir Abdurehim Qadir was born in 1964 in Kashgar, East Turkestan. He moved to Urumqi with his wife and daughter in 2006 hoping to make a better living. With the advice of his friends, he rented a store by the Beytulla Mosque in Urumqi and opened a blacksmith shop. Customers who regularly walked by his store always spoke of his friendliness and excellent service. Although the money he earned as a blacksmith was not much, he was able to provide a comfortable living for his wife and daughter.

On 5 July 2009, Abdurehim Qadir decided to close his shop and stay home due to the unrest on the streets. Despite his efforts to avoid the violence, trouble followed him home. In the morning of 6 July 2009, policemen forced their way into his home and arrested him. Abdurehim’s wife has not heard from him since and her attempts to search for him have been unsuccessful. Abdurehim Qadir’s family not only lost a husband and a father, they also lost the bread- Figure.2 A photo of Abdurehim Qadir’s family winner for their home. As the result of their financial difficulties, Abdurehim’s daughter is no longer able to attend school.

Radio Free Asia’s investigations reveal that Abdurehim was unaware of the Shaoguan incident, which was the root of the unrest in Urumqi in July 2009. Abdurehim was also never involved with the local political activist or the individuals involved in the protests. His only crime it seems like was being an Uyghur. Radio Free Asia also suspects that the location of Abdurehim’s store, being next to the mosque, may be related to his arrest.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programme on 06 November 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ABDUREHIM SIDIQ Name: Abdurehim Sidiq (阿不都热依木. 萨迪克) Age: 24 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Car mechanic Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: 5 July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Wife(Ayse) and family members Informant(s): Wife(Ayse) Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Abdurehim Sidiq According to Abdurehim’s wife Ayse, Abdurehim Sidiq left home to go to Bulaqbeshi Bazar Market on July 5, 2009 to purchase shoes, but he never returned home. Whether he took part in the riots and protests on the streets is unclear.

Figure. 3 An updated photo of Abdurehim Sidiqʼs children

Figure. 2 A photo of Abdurehim Sidiq and his wife Ayse’s marriage certificate

ABAXUN SOPUR Name: Abaxun Sopur (阿巴洪. 苏扑尔) Age: 33 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Street fruit vendor Date of capture: 7 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: August 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Wife (Reyhangul Tahir) and family members Informant(s): Wife Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Abaxun Sopur A baxun Sopur is a father of four and the husband of Reyhangul Tahir, who released all the information she had about Abaxun’s situation to Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service. According to Reyhangul Tahir, Abaxun made special efforts to avoid the areas where unrest took place on 5 July 2009, and sold fruits in Hualing region (a region far from the areas where unrest took place), from which he returned safely to his home that night. He chose to stay home all day on July 6th to avoid the mayhem on the streets and went out on 7 July to continue his work. That evening, Abaxun phoned his wife Reyhangul and informed her that he and his friends were stopped by the police on their way home. The police officers told Abaxun and his friends that the streets ahead were blocked and offered them a ride home in their automobiles. However, instead of arriving at their homes, Abaxun and his friends were brought to Shenming Police Station located at the People’s Square (Xelq Meydani) in Urumqi. Still having faith in the police officers, Abaxun stressed to his wife not to worry, and that the police officers would take him home shortly. Nevertheless, at approximately 2300, Reyhangul began to worry when Abaxun failed to return home and his phone was turned off.

A month later, a group of Uyghur men who were captured along with Abaxun were released. These released individuals informed Abaxun’s family of what happened to Abaxun on 7 July 2009. Abaxun was taken to the Shenming Police station on the evening of 7 July, where he was interrogated by a Kazakh police officer named Aytan. Shortly after, Abaxun and some thirty individuals were sent away to various jails and detention centres in Urumqi. The released victims did not know to which detention centre Abaxun was sent. With the given information, Reyhangul found the Kazakh officer Aytan, who told her that he had found Abaxun to be innocent after his interrogation, but that he was forbidden to be released by Aytan’s Han supervisor. Officer Aytan also told Reyhangul that Abaxun was taken to the Diyentey Detention Centre in Urumqi.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 8 May 2012, 14 May 2012 and 4 June 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ABAXUN SOPUR

Reyhangul continued the search for her husband by going to Diyentey Detention Centre in search for him. As expected, Reyhangul was told that her husband was never registered at Diyentey Detention Centre. Still not giving up on her investigation, Reyhangul proceed to tirelessly search for Abaxun in all detention centres in and around Urumqi, and petitioned governmental organisations at every level. Reyhangul vouches for her husband’s innocence and she is determined to continue the investigation until information of his fate is released.

Later, Reyhangul was joined by families of seven other disappeared victims to continue their search and their petitions in Beijing. Not long after their arrival in Beijing, more than forty Urumqi police officers were sent to Beijing to escort them back to Urumqi. To prevent Reyhangul from investigating Abaxun’s case even further, Reyhangul was banned from living in Urumqi and was sent back to Kashgar with her four Figure. 2 An updated photo of Reyhangul children. When local Kashgar police officers asked Reyhangul Tahir, Abaxun’s wife the reason why she went to Beijing, she responded: “To look for my husband who was eaten alive by the Government.

At the beginning of June 2012, Radio Free Asia- Uyghur service contacted Abaxun Sopur’s family and informant(s) of his case for an inquiry about their safety and well-being. It has been reported to Radio Free Asia- Uyghur service that after the initial interview about Abaxun Sopur’s situation, the informant(s) and/or family member(s) has/have been questioned by multiple Chinese police officers and officials in regards to their recent phone calls and conversations about Abaxun Sopur. Chinese officials have also demanded the informant(s) and/or family member(s) to discontinue their communications with any media Figure. 3 Three of the four Children of Reyhangul and Abaxun station or reporter in regards to the c ase of Abaxun Sopur.

ABLAJAN SULAYMAN Name: Ablajan Sulayman （阿布拉江. 苏莱曼） Age: 19 Place of birth: Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture, Town of Baren, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Retail Associate Date of capture: 6 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: August 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Father and other family members Informant(s): Father (Sulayman Dawut) Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure.1 A photo of Ablajan Sulayman Ablajan Sulayman was born in 1990 in Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Ablajan moved from Kizilsu Prefecture to Urumqi in June 2009 in search of employment. According to Ablajan’s father Sulayman Dawut, his family was informed by the Kizilsu Prefecture Police Department of Ablajan’s arrest and indicated that he was being detained at the Kaziwen Detention Center. Although Urumqi City Police Department admitted to arresting Ablajan Sulayman, they refused to disclose any information on his whereabouts.

Radio Free Asia’s investigations revealed that Ablajan Sulayman was arrested from his workplace located in the Seymachange neighborhood of Urumqi city on 6 July 2009. On the morning of 6 July, all men were gathered from the neighborhood and taken away by the police. About a month after the arrest, Ablajan’s family was notified that Ablajan was found innocent and that he was being held at the Michuen Detention Center merely for political education purposes. This was the last time Ablajan Sulayman’s family heard about him. A former detainee from the Michuen Detention Center spoke with Ablajan’s family and admitted to having seen pictures of Ablajan for identifying purposes during his time in detention. Till this day, Ablajan Sulayman’s family has yet to hear anything on his whereabouts; police and government officials refuse to disclose any information. Government officials continue to discourage any investigation Ablajan’s family carries out and demands that they wait for the government’s announcement.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programme on 1 January 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s service. Uyghur

BEKRI TOXTI Name: Bekri Toxti (拜科日. 托合提) Age: 34 Place of birth: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Unkown Date of capture: Unkown Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: Unkown Person(s) who carried out the search: Unkown Informant(s): Unkown Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Bekri Tohti

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 4 June 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

TURSUNJAN TOHTI Name: Tursunjan Tohti (吐尔逊江. 托合提) Age: 26 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Hairdresser, Barber Shop owner Date of capture: 1 August 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: 2 August 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Brother and father Informant(s):Father, Mother and Brother Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Tursunjan Tohti Tursunjan Tohti w as arrested on 31 July 31 2009 in Urumqi from the barbershop he owned and was working in. Tursunjan was arrested by a team of police officers led by Nurdun. Police official Nurdun had initially confessed to arresting Tursunjan Tohti during an interrogation with Nurdun’s brother, Kurbanjan.

Employees who work around the barbershop where Tursunjan was arrested witnessed the process of his arrest. According to these witnesses, a police car came and parked in front of a store across the street from the barbershop, and a few of the police officers crossed the street and walked into the barbershop. They demanded for 5 of the barbershop employees to come outside and forced them to kneel on the ground. Subsequently, one of the police officers ordered for Tursunjan Tohti to be Figure. 2 An updated photo of Tursunjan arrested. Tohti’s father

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 11 May 2012, 14 May 2012, 22 June 2012 and 28 December 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

TURSUNJAN TOHTI

Radio Free Asia carried out further investigation of Police official Nurdun’s involvement in this case. Contrary to his confession, Nurdun denied ever being involved with Tursunjan’s case. Nurdun went as far to claim never even seeing Tursunjan. According to Nurdun’s fabricated story, his team was looking for Tursunjan Tohti at the time for questioning purposes. However, due to their unsuccessful search, the police decided to question Tursunjan’s brother, Kurbanjan. According to Radio Free Asia, Nurdun worked for the Qarlighach Police Department and had actively participated in suppressing and arresting suspects of 5 July 2009.

Along with ten other families who are in search of their missing relatives, Tursunjan Tohti’s father contacted Urumqi Police Department as well as the Public Security Bureau for information on his son. Among the police officers he contacted are Police Officer Kadir, Police Officer Tursun Behti and Police Officer Emetjan. Both the Urumqi Police Department and Public Security Bureau referred them to Police Officer Kadir, indicating that Kadir is the head of the investigation team assigned to the search of victims of 5 July 2009. Both Emetjan and Kadir revealed to the Tursunjan’s father that they have sufficient information on all the missing victims, but that they are waiting for higher government officials’ permission to release such information.

ENVER TURDI Name: Enver Turdi （艾尼瓦尔. 吐尔地） Age: 26 Place of birth: Aksu, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Farmer, Construction Worker Date of capture: 07 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: May 2010 Person(s) who carried out the search: Brother, mother and other family members Informant(s): Brother and Father Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure.1 A photo of Enver Turdi Enver Turdi is originally from the city of Aksu, he was in Urumqi for work when he was arrested on 7 July 2009. Enver Turdi was arrested the day after his brother, Imin Turdi was arrested. Imin Turdi was transferred from Urumqi to a prison in Aksu a week after his arrest and was released 4 months later. Upon Imin Turdi’s release, Aksu police officers escorted him back to his home in Aksu and told his family that Enver Turdi was still in Urumqi and that he was to be released in about 8 to 9 months. When the family asked for the reason why Enver was being detained longer, the police responded that Enver has “seen some incidents” and had to be questioned for a while longer. After not hearing anything about Enver Turdi after 9 months, the family began the search for him. Enver Turdi’s family persistently visited the Aksu Police Department and other government offices in the city. However, their search

in Aksu was not only counterproductive, but the same officials Figure.2 Enver Turdi, his child and who indicated that Enver would be released 9 months after his children of relatives brother completely denied ever making such claims.

Subsequently, the family made their way to Urumqi to learn more of Enver’s whereabouts. During their visit at the Urumqi City Police Department, the family was told by the police officers there that this was the first time they are hearing about Enver’s disappearance. Urumqi City Police Department assured that family that they would begin the search for Enver Turdi and asked for the family to wait patiently.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from reporter Shohret Hoshur of Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service. Including programmes from 18 July 2013. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

ENVER TURDI

Enver’s family is puzzled by the inconsistency in the answers they have heard from the police officers in two cities. “We are not sure who is lying, they keep telling us to wait and we have waited for 4 years now. My mother past away 6 months ago at the age of 54 because she couldn’t handle “waiting” anymore”, Enver’s older brother cried to Radio Free Asia.

Imin Turdi explained to Radio Free Asia that on 5 July 2009, the two brothers were unable to return to their motel due to the violence on the street. They decided to spend the night at a local restaurant near the construction site where they were working. They returned to the motel in the morning and realised that the police had taken many Uyghurs who were staying and/or working at the hotel away. Imin Turdi was arrested later that day and Enver Turdi the next day. Enver’s family indicates that they received a phone call in the morning of 7 July 2009. During Enver’s conversation with his mother that morning, he notified her that all but 5 Uyghurs were left at the motel and he might be arrested later as well. However, Enver emphasised for her not to worry because he has done nothing wrong and that he would be released immediately even if he were to be taken away. Unfortunately, Enver was never released after his arrest and his whereabouts are still unknown till this day. Enver Turdi’s second child was born 5 months after his arrest and his father is now taking care of Enver’s two children.

YUSUP TURGHUN Name: Yusup Turghun (玉素甫. 吐尔逊) Age: 20 Place of birth: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Student Date of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Place of capture: Unknown Date when search began: Unknown Person(s) who carried out the search: Parents and family members Informant(s): Unkown Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Yusup Turghun

Figure. 2 Photo of Yusup Turghun’s parents

Information provided in this profile is obtained from reporter Shohret Hoshur of Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service. Including programmes from 15 May 2012 and 25 May 2012. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

EKBER TURSUN Name: Ekber Tursun (艾克拜尔.吐尔逊) Age: 26 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Entrepreneur Date of capture: 20 October 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Photo Unavailable Region of China Date when search began: October 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Wife Informant(s): Wife Ethnicity: Uyghur

Ekber Tursun was an ambitious entrepreneur who moved to Urumqi from Kashgar in 2002. With the help from 3 of his friends, Ekber successfully opened a men’s clothing store in Urumqi. About 3 months after the 5 July incident, Ekber Tursun was reportedly arrested by 2 undercover police officers dressed in civilian clothes as he was working at his store. These undercover policemen came to Ekber’s store and indicated that they were sent from the Kashgar Police Department. They claimed to have a few questions for Ekber and asked him to come with them. These undercover police officers also told Ekber’s employees that they would release him after asking him some important questions, and left their phone numbers for reassurance. Ekber did not return to his store or his home after that.

The next day, Ekber Tursun’s wife called the phone number given by the police officers. She was able to reach them at the first attempt, but was informed that the police officers were unavailable as they were in a meeting. The phone was disconnected when Ekber’s wife called them at every attempt after that.

With 3 children by her side, Ekber Tursun’s wife has been looking for Ekber ever since. She has petitioned all levels of governmental institutions and has been to all detention centres in both Urumqi and Kashgar. Ekber’s wife has yet to find any information about her husband’s case, not even the names of police officers who arrested him. Ekber’s employees vouched for Ekber’s innocence and confirmed that he did not participate in any protest on 5 July 2009. Ekber Tursun’s clothing store, which he co-owned with the three friends mentioned earlier has closed since his disappearance. Being an important contributor to the business, Ekber Tursun’s disappearance took a toll on the business, leaving the three other co-owners as well as Ekber’s family in debt. Ekber Tursun’s wife is now selling socks as a street vendor to provide for her children

Information provided in this profile is obtained from reporter Shohret Hoshur of Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service. Including programmes from 20 June 2012, 25 July 2012 and 23 October 2012.

JUMEJAN TURSUN Name: Jumejan Tursun (居麦江. 吐尔逊) Age: 27 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Unknown Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: July 2009 Person(s) who carried out the search: Father and other family members Informant(s): Father Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure.1 A photo of Jumejan Tursun It was reported to Radio Free Asia that among the many Uyghur men who became victims of enforced disappearance after 5 July 2009, there were also handicapped individuals, as well as those who were severely ill. According to reliable sources, these individuals were clearly incapable of participating in the 5 July Urumqi unrest due to their weak physical conditions. Jumejan Tursun’s health was in very poor condition as the result of severe tuberculosis at the time of the incident. Jumejan was in fact on his way from the hospital at the time of his arrest. After his arrest, Jumejan was brought back to his home for interrogation, and then taken away by the police officials. Jumejan Tursun did not Figure.2 A photo of Jumejan Tursun’s family participate in the unrest or protests.

Jumejan Tursun’s father has identified policeman Mehmetjan Ablet to be one of the policeman involved in his son’s arrest. In October 2012, Jumejan Tursun’s father Tursun Hesen informed Radio Free Asia that he ran into Mehmetjan Ablet on the streets of Kashgar. Mehmetjan Ablet is of Uyghur decent and works for the government office of Kashgar. Upon confrontation, Mehmetjan Ablet entirely denied to Tursun Hesen of having any involvement with Jumejan’s disappearance, and claimed that only the leaders of his department had gone to Urumqi after the July 5th incident to carry out arrests and interrogations.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 4 June 2012 , 25 July 2012 and 23 October 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

JUMEJAN TURSUN

Radio Free Asia further investigated this situation by contacting Memejan Ablet. He declined to reveal any information to Radio Free Asia and denied having any involvement with the situation given. Memetjan also claimed that no one from his department was sent to Urumqi after the 5 July incident. Radio Free Asia has gathered enough evidence to prove that over 800 police officers from Kashgar and other cities of the autonomous regions were sent to Urumqi to assist with interrogations and arrests after the 5 July incident.

TURDIMEMET TURSUNNIYAZ Name: Turdimemet Tursunniyaz (吐尔地麦麦提. 玉素甫尼亚孜) Age: 20 Place of birth: Qarakash Province, Hotan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Butcher Date of capture: 5 July 2009 Place of capture: Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Date when search began: January 2010 Person(s) who carried out the search: Mother (Rozigul) and Father (Tursunniyaz) Informant(s): Mother (Rozigul) Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Turdimemet Tursunniyaz T urdimemet Tursunniyaz was born and raised in Qaraqash Province of Hotan prefecture, East Turkestan. According to Turdimemet Tursunniyaz’s mother Rozigul, Turdimemet moved to Urumqi at the end of 2008 leaving his new bride with his parents with plans to move her to Urumqi once he settled. Turdimemet then became a butcher to earn a living at a butcher shop at the Seymachang Bazar in Urumqi. Turdimemet’s mother spoke to him on 4 July and made plans to send his wife to Urumqi shortly, but the family has never heard from him since then. Turdimemet’s parents conclude that on 5 July 2009, Turdimemet left for work in the morning and never returned.

About 3 month after his disappearance, police officers from Qaraqash Province came to his parents’ house and asked for Turdimemet’s family name. As a result, Rozigul began to believe that her son was still alive and that the police were indeed looking for him. Nonetheless, Turdimemet’s family heard nothing of him for about 6 months subsequent to his disappearance. Rozigul then made her way to Urumqi to look for her son. She went to Xinjiang Regional Police Department as well as Urumqi City Police Department, neither of which found records of Turdimemet Tursunniyaz. Both institutions told Rozigul that they would inform her as soon as they uncover any news of her son, and demanded for Rozigul to return to Hotan immediately. Rozigul went back to Urumqi multiple times after the first in hopes that she would find her son, but she did not succeeded.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 11 July 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

TURDIMEMET TURSUNNIYAZ

Turtimemet’s father, Tursunniyaz, then decided to go to Beijing to petition his son’s disappearance. Unfortunately, when he was about 10 kilometers away from Urumqi, police officers from Qaraqash Province caught up to him and arrested him. Tursunniyaz was kept at a local detention centre in Qaraqash for three days after that. Local police officers also threatened Turdimemet’s family and once again demanded for them to stop their search. Turtimemet’s newly wedded wife has been staying with her parents in law since then, till this day she is hoping and waiting for her husband’s return. Turdimemet’s mother told Radio Free Asia: “We no longer ask the Chinese government for justice for we know they are incapable of it; all we ask from them is to tell us whether my son is dead or alive.”

Figure.2 A photo of Turdimemet Tursunnuyaz’s registration certificate post his disappearance Figure.3 A photo of Turdimemet Tursuniyaz and his wife

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 11 July 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

MEMTIMIN YASIN Name: Memtimin Yasin (麦麦提依明. 牙生) Age: 33 Place of birth: Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China Profession: Unknown Date of capture: Unknown Place of capture: Unknown Date when search began: Unknown Person(s) who carried out the search: Wife and family members Informant(s): Wife Ethnicity: Uyghur

Figure. 1 A photo of Memtimin Yasin

Figure. 2 Photo of Memtimin Yasin’s identification card

Figure. 3 A photo of Memtimin Yasin’s wife

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 14 May 2012 and 25 May 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service. Photos contained in the profile were originally sent to Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur service.

Financial Obstacles

The tragedy of losing a family member brought along with it overwhelming financial hardships for families of disappeared victims. Family members of disappeared victims spend a substantial amount of money on traveling and lodging while looking for their missing relative in different cities of East Turkestan as well as Mainland China. This is further exacerbated by the fact that Uyghurs in East Turkestan are discriminated in education, the workplace and the job market, thus hindering their access to wealth and also ensuring that they remain the most impoverished ethnic group in the XUAR, in spite of constituting the majority.

Because of forced circumstances, some families engaged in an array of negotiations with police officers and government officials for information on missing family members. In some cases, they were scammed for false information. Family members of missing victims resorted to a variety of ways to acquire cash flow; many were forced to sell their lands and/or possessions to compensate for the expenses. Victims whose families owned businesses were obliged to sell their businesses, otherwise they would have been unable to continue their search. The following cases are moderately representative of the financial burdens troubling the many families of missing relative after 5 July 2009.

Nebi Eli Nebi’s family owned a restaurant in the Chinese City of Xi’an and multiple mobile and electronics stores in Urumqi. Nebi Eli’s family sold their restaurant as well as their stores in Urumqi to pay for the expenses incurred. Expenses incurred include transportation and lodging costs related to their multiple trips between Qaraqash and Urumqi (at least 30 trips), their trips to Beijing and the Chinese City of Yiwu. All trips were made to either search for Nebi based on tips they received, or to appeal to government offices. The family has also depleted a portion of their assets to bribe government officials for information on Nebi’s whereabouts, but clearly did not succeed in obtaining the correct information. Eventually, Nebi’s family had to sell their farmland in Qaraqash to continue the search. Nebi’s father told Radio Free Asia that the overall cost of searching for his son has been well over ¥500,000 (US $81,000). Nebi’s father planned to go to Aksu to earn an income through small businesses after drying up their assets and savings, but he was stopped by the Qaraqash Police Department.

Eysajan Emet Eysanjan Emet’s mother is an elderly single woman, but this has not stopped her from tirelessly looking for her son. Neither has the fact that she is being financially drained due to all the expenses incurred in the process of her search. Eysanjan’s mother, Tursungul has been forced to sell all the valuable goods in her house; in addition to the jewelry she has owned her entire life. In July of 2012, Tursungul informed Radio Free Asia that she was thinking about selling her house in order to continue her search for Eysajan.

Imammemet Eli Financial instability has been one of the many obstacles Imammemet’s family has faced since his disappearance. Patigul informed Radio Free Asia that before Imammemet’s disappearance, he had saved some money in his bank account. Despite the financial struggles the family has faced and Patigul’s countless trips to the bank and government offices, she has not been able to claim the money. Shortly after the beginning of the year in 2013, Patigul Ghulam was asked to appear in court for her inability to pay her heating bills. Patigul patiently explained her situation when she appeared in court; she has spent all her time and money for the past 4 years looking for her son, and this has left her jobless. The authorities responded that paying her heating bills is her responsibility and that

if she is jobless and broke, that was entirely her decision. Notwithstanding her appeal or her explanations, the court granted her one month to pay the amount she owed. Patigul was also evicted from every apartment that she has rented in Urumqi without being provided with a legitimate explanation, she suspects that her evictions have been the result of the governments’ pressure on her landlords.

Abdurehim Rozi Abdurehim Rozi was the owner and a mechanic of a moderately successful auto-repair shop, through which he was able to support his wife and kid in addition to his sick mother. With him being the only mechanic, Abdurehim’s family had no way of continuing the business, hence he was forced to the auto-repair shop. Abdurehim Rozi’s family has been unable to intensely search for him due to their poor financial situation. Abdurehim’s wife and children have been financially dependent on the help from relatives.

Ekber Tursun Ekber Tursun was an ambitious young entrepreneurial when he moved to Urumqi in 2002 from his hometown of Kashgar. Together with 3 of his friends, Ekber Tursun successfully opened a men’s clothing store in Urumqi and has been a co-owner since then. Ekber Tursun was an important contributor to this thriving business until his disappearance. Expectedly, the business suffered tremendously after Ekber disappeared and left the remaining 3 co-owners as well as Ekber’s family in major debt. Ekber Tursun’s wife is now selling socks as a street vendor to provide for her children and to continue her search for Ekber.

Jumejan Tursun Jumejan Tursun’s family was struggling financially even before the 5 July incident. Despite his sickness, Jumanjan always brought in a majority of the household income. “He didn’t even get married just so he could take care of us,” cried his father to Radio Free Asia. The family’s financial burden became almost unbearable when the cost of searching of Jumejan was added to their everyday expenses. Jumejan Tursun’s parents have taken on janitorial jobs to provide for the rest of their children and to continue the search for their missing son.

Turdimemet Tursunniyaz Turdimemet’s parents and his newly wedded wife have been searching for him since early 2010. The family was unable to continue its business as the result of dedicating all of their time searching for Turdimemet. Turdimemet’s parents finally resorted to selling their farmland that they owned for almost their entire lives. In addition to taking care of Turdimemet’s father who is ill, the family is currently financial drained.

Despite the overwhelming financial burdens brought upon the family members of disappeared victims, the Chinese government has yet to provide them with any sort of financial assistance. As for the Chinese families who have lost a relative, each one was compensated with ¥1 million. While many Uyghurs also lost their lives to the incidents of 5 July 2009, none of their family members were financially compensated. Furthermore, a handful of Chinese business owners received assistance from the government for damaged properties, while their counterpart Uyghur business owners received nothing. The Chinese government has also worsened the financial stress of Uyghur families by causing various forms of inconveniences such as evicting them of their rental apartments and further putting them into debt.

Information provided in this profile is obtained from Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur programmes on 61 25 July 2012. Programmes reported by Shohret Hoshur of RFA’s Uyghur service.

IV. LAW

INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

Enforced disappearances are recognised as one of the most egregious human rights violations due to the myriad of interconnected and interdependent rights that are violated as a result.

An enforced disappearance occurs when a person is, “arrested, detained or abducted against their will or otherwise deprived of their liberty by officials of different branches or levels of Government, or by organized groups or private individuals acting on behalf of, or with the support, direct or indirect, consent or acquiescence of the Government, followed by a refusal to disclose the fate or whereabouts of the persons concerned or a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of their liberty, which places such persons outside the protection of the law.”12

In this regard, Amnesty International noted in a 2008 report that enforced disappearances violate freedom from arbitrary detention, the right to recognition as a person before the law, and the right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 13 Amnesty International 14 has further highlighted the following rights that are violated:

· the right to security and dignity of person · the right not to be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment · the right to humane conditions of detention · the right to a legal personality · right to a fair trial · right to a family life · when the disappeared person is killed, the right to life

Furthermore, enforced disappearances can also violate the right of presumption of innocence, legal counsel, equal treatment under the law and the right to liberty.

A UN General Assembly Resolution in 197815 on 'disappeared persons' recalled Articles 3, 5, 9, 10 and 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which affirm ones right, inter alia, to life, liberty and security of a person, freedom from torture, freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention, and the right to a fair and public trial. In addition, Articles 6, 7 and 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights define and establish safeguards for certain of these rights. Article 7 of the Rome Statutes defines enforced disappearances as a crime against

12 UN Doc. A/RES/47/ 133 (1992). See here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/disappearance.htm 13 'Denying the Undeniable: enforced disappearances in Pakistan', Amnesty International. Published 2008. See here: https://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA33/018/2008/en/0de43038-57dd-11dd-be62-3f7ba2157024/asa330182008eng.pdf 14 'Enforced Disappearances', Amnesty International [online]. See here: https://www.amnesty.org/en/enforced-disappearances 15 UN Doc. A/RES/33/173 (1978). See here: https://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/33/ares33r173.pdf

humanity.16 This followed a UN General Assembly Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances, adopted on 18 December 1992.17 Aalthough not legally binding, the text contained therein represents the consensus within the international community in regards to the crime of forcibly disappearing a person by the state.

Article 10 of the Declaration on Enforced Disappearances, reinforced in the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances (ICCPED), it is clearly stated that someone who is detained must be held in an officially recognised place of detention, the individual's family must be informed of their whereabouts, they must have access to a lawyer, and that each detention centre must have an up-to-date register for all those detained.18

The Declaration on Enforced Disappearances stood as an important guide for when the ICCPED was drafted, which was subsequently adopted on 20 December 2006.19 This timely Convention brings together a variety of already-existing legal standards enshrined in customary international law, inter alia, pertaining to the enforced disappearance of a person and also (re)affirms that enforced disappearances are a crime against humanity. The ICCPED does bring in new elements to the laws against enforced disappearances, such as Article 24 which extends the status of a victim to the family of the disappeared person.

Although China has not ratified the ICCPED, it was present at the UN General Assembly's Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance which, though not legally binding, laid out the principles that the ICCPED would seek to put in place. The Declaration affords to victims of enforced disappearances or their families the right to redress and that they shall receive compensation and, where necessary, rehabilitation. Furthermore, Article 24 of the ICCPED also provides the right to the truth “regarding the circumstances of the enforced disappearance, the progress and results of the investigation and the fate of the disappeared person.”20 This right is recognised by several international bodies, such as the Inter- American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human rights and the UN Commission on Human Rights, thus it is closer than ever to becoming a universal fundamental right.

Most of the underlying principles in the ICCPED can be found under different forms in a variety of other international legal treaties and instruments, such as, for example, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Whilst China has not signed nor ratified this Convention, it can be deemed bound to certain of the rights therein due its signing or ratifying of other international legal instruments. For example, China has signed the ICCPR, and thus it should not take any steps which would run

16 U.N. Doc. A/CONF.183/9) . See here: http://untreaty.un.org/cod/icc/statute/romefra.htm 17 UN Doc. A/RES/47/ 133 (1992). See here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/disappearance.htm 18 'We Can Torture, Kill, or Keep You for Years', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 25 July 2011. See here: http://www.hrw.org/fr/node/100307/section/6 19 19 To view the status' of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances, see here: http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-16&chapter=4&lang=en 20 This right was also recalled in the preamble of the resolution which set forth the mandate for the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence. 63

contrary to this treaty; the new revisions to China's Criminal Procedure Law that came into force on 1 January 2013 do exactly this.

CHINA's CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW

On 21 October 2011, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Vice-Chair of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances sent a letter to China (CHN 21/2011)21 related to their joint study on global practices in relation to secret detention in the context of countering terrorism (A/HRC/13/42), presented to the 13th session22 of the UN Human Rights Council.23 The joint study, published on 19 February 201024, was part of a consultative process with States.

In this study, the special procedures mandate holders addressed several urgent communications to the Government of China, particularly regarding cases of alleged secret detention of Tibetans accused of separatism and other State security offences, and of secret detention in the aftermath of unrest in East Turkestan in July 2009. It is also widely accepted that any incommunicado detention for over 15 days is a violation of Article 10 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which China is a signatory.25

The mandate holders took note of reports of secret detention in the aftermath of the unrest in East Turkestan in July 200926 quoting a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW)27 which notes that, “official figures suggest that the number of people detained by the security forces in connection with the protests has reached well over a thousand people.” The report further states, “Chinese police, the People’s Armed Police and the military allegedly conducted numerous large- scale sweep operations in two predominantly Uyghur areas of Urumqi, Erdaoqiao and Saimachang, in the immediate aftermath of the uprising on 6 and 7 July. Similar operations continued on a smaller scale until at least mid-August.”28 The HRW report also alleges that the

21 To view the letter, see here: https://spdb.ohchr.org/hrdb/19th/AL_China_21.10.11_(21.2011).pdf 22 The 13th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 01/03/2010 to 26/03/2010. To view all the documentation, see here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/13session/index.htm 23 To view the Joint Study (A/HRC//13/42) submitted to the Human Rights Council, see here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/13session/A-HRC-13-42.pdf 24 ibid 25 Ibid. , p. 89, para. 168 see also, the Human Rights Committee's communication Lucía Arzuaga Gilboa v. Uruguay, Communication No. 147/1983, U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/OP/2 at 176 (1990). See here: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/undocs/newscans/147-1983.html ; and, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment's response to questions at the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Torture/Reply_to_Questions_Raised_by_MStates_DialogueGA66.pdf ; and the Special Rapporteur's report to the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly (A/66/268) , p. 9, para. 26 : http://daccess-dds- ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/445/70/PDF/N1144570.pdf?OpenElement 26 Ibid., p. 89, para. 170 27 'We Are Afraid to Even Look for Them: enforced disappearances in the wake of Xinjiang's protests', Human Rights Watch. Published October 2009. See here: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/10/22/we-are-afraid-even-look-them-0 28 “We Are Afraid to Even Look for Them: enforced disappearances in the wake of Xinjiang's protests', Human Rights Watch. Published October 2009. p. 22 – 24 See here: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/10/22/we-are-afraid-even-look-them-0 ; 'China: detainees ‘disappeared’ after Xinjiang protests', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 21 October 2009. See here: www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/10/20/china-detaineesdisappeared-after-xinjiang-protests 64

majority of those detained were being held incommunicado, and that, when family members attempted to inquire about their relatives, “police and other law enforcement agencies denied having knowledge of the arrests, or simply chased the families away.”29

In the 21 October 2011 communication, the mandate holders/experts invited China to provide them with information on measures taken to investigate the allegations contained in the joint study and, if found true, to rectify the situation in compliance with international human rights norms and standards; to implement the related recommendations; and to provide any other relevant information.30

Furthermore, in a general allegation sent by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) on 21 Septem ber 2011 to China and included in the group’s 2012 Report (A/HRC/19/58) 31 to the 19th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, the group expressed its concerns about the fact that the Chinese authorities announced in August 2011 that they were evaluating an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Law (especially on Article 73) that would legalise the secret detention of people suspected of crimes concerning state security or terrorism for up to six months in undisclosed locations which would to all intents and purposes represent a de facto disappearance. The announcement sparked widespread criticism not only among human rights organisations, but also within China,32 and would have given police the legal authority to do something they have long done extra-legally: disappear people for months at a time without telling their families.

Finally, after months of speculation and debate, on 8 March 2012 33, an “Explanatory Note” on the pending legislation on the new Criminal Procedure Law, CPL, (which was originally enacted in 1979 and amended in 199634) was introduced at the National People's Congress (NPC) in which a clause that would allow police to secretly "disappear" criminal suspects deemed to be a threat to national security without notifying their families had been removed.35 Under the new law, detainees' families should be notified within 24 hours.36

An alternate type of detention in China, "residential surveillance", has not been expanded under the new regulation. “Residential surveillance” (or house arrest) means the de facto

29 'We Are Afraid to Even Look for Them: enforced disappearances in the wake of Xinjiang's protests', Human Rights Watch. Published October 2009. p. 6. See here: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/10/22/we-are-afraid-even-look-them-0 30 See here, P. 102: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session19/A_HRC_19_44_EFSonly.pdf 31 See here, p. 36, para. 99-104: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session19/A-HRC-19-58-Rev1_en.pdf 32 For example, see, 'China: enforced disappearances a Growing Threat', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 10 November 2011. See here: http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/11/09/china-enforced-disappearances-growing-threat ; See also, 'Upcoming Vote on Revised Criminal Procedure Law Raises Procedural and Censorship Concerns', Human Rights in China [online]. Published 13 March 2012. See here: http://www.hrichina.org/content/591 33 'Upcoming Vote on Revised Criminal Procedure Law Raises Procedural and Censorship Concerns', Human Rights in China [online]. Published 13 March 2012. See here: http://www.hrichina.org/content/5917 ; and, 'The Instructions on the amendment of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the People's Republic of China (Draft)', The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China. See here: http://www.npc.gov.cn/npc/xinwen/lfgz/lfdt/2012-03/09/content_1705698.htm 34 'China backs down from legalising secret detentions', Agence France Presse. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1187735/1/.html 35 'China Drops Plan to Legalize Secret Detentions', Voice of America [online]. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/east-pacific/China-Drops-Plan-to-Legalize-Secret-Detentions-141903623.html 36 'China parliament Unveils Dissident Detention Powers', Reuters [online]. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/08/us-china-npc-law-idUSBRE8270BP20120308

detention of dissidents in hotels, state guesthouses and other sites away from families, lawyers and the public eye. According to Joshua Rosenzweig, a former staff member of The Dui Hua Foundation in Hong Kong, China originally introduced residential surveillance so that ill, pregnant and otherwise vulnerable people could avoid outright detention, but it has mutated into a tool for police to hold citizens outside the sphere of courts and lawyers.37

Torture and other forms of ill treatment are widespread in this type of detention since they occur in a “no man´s land.”38 According to Rosenzweig, abuses include being confined to a bed for days at a time and holding fixed positions for hours, as well as constant police surveillance including when a detainee is using the toilet or in the shower.39

As a result of these amendments, this already widespread practice of "residential surveillance" is not expanded, but instead it is now converted into law. The revised law still allows police to put people into custody without justification, however families must now be told within 24 hours.40 Under the revised law’s “residential surveillance” provision (article 73), law enforcement agencies would still have the power to detain national security or terrorism suspects in a designated location of the agencies’ choice for up to six months.

Although the law enforcement agency imposing the measure would have to notify relatives within 24 hours, the notification would not require them to disclose the whereabouts of the person. The draft provision would also allow police to deny suspects access to a lawyer for the duration of the detention.41 The amendment does however for the first time state explicitly that, ''confessions extorted through illegal means such as torture'' should not be used in trials, the official state media Xinhua reported.42

While this revision represents a step forward to improve human rights in China,43 concerns about secret detention in China remain as is evident in this report. Under the new regulation, individuals suspected of crimes involving national security or terrorism can still be detained in a designated facility or undisclosed locations without notifying their family members whether the seriousness of the charges require this measure or if notification could obstruct investigations

37 'China parliament Unveils Dissident Detention Powers', Reuters [online]. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/08/us-china-npc-law-idUSBRE8270BP20120308 38 'China Unveils New Legislation on Police Detention Power', BBC [online]. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17296145 39 'China to Restrict Secret Detentions on Paper', Associated Press. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://web.utsandiego.com/news/2012/mar/07/china-to-restrict-secret-detentions-_-on-paper/?print&page=all 40 'China parliament Unveils Dissident Detention Powers', Reuters [online]. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/08/us-china-npc-law-idUSBRE8270BP20120308 ; China backs down from legalising secret detentions', Agence France Presse. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1187735/1/.html 41 'China: Don’t Legalize Incommunicado Detentions', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 12 March 2012. See here: http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/12/china-don-t-legalize-incommunicado-detentions 42 'China Backs Down from Legalising Secret Detentions', Agence France Presse. Published 8 March 2012.See here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1187735/1/.html ; See also, 'Human Rights Underlined in Procedure Law Revision', Xinhua. Published 14 March 2012. See here: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-03/14/content_14833037.html 43 'China Backs Down from Legalising Secret Detentions', Agence France Presse. Published 8 March 2012.See here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1187735/1/.html

and if notification is “impossible.”44 The right to access a lawyer is also conditional on “approval” by the law enforcement agency which has imposed the detention; this in effect gives authority to the investigators to deny any contact with a defence lawyer.45

Especially in the light of the Chinese government´s abuse of state security charges and other vaguely defined political charges to silence dissidents, opposition, and minorities,46 the whereabouts of hundreds of Uyghurs detained and forcibly disappeared solely for having exercised their right to freedom of expression and religion are unknown.

In addition, and based on past experiences, any legislation can be suspended if required by the political situation. Moreover, police and prosecutors have routinely ignored current legal provisions protecting suspects' rights.47 Nicolas Bequelin, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW), noted that the amendment would only be truly successful if it was properly implemented, and that it was still too soon to tell whether this would be the case. As Bequelin said, “for years the Public Security has routinely ignored, with almost complete impunity, the procedural protections that were already in the law."48 In addition, the notification of the detainees’ families does not prevent mistreatment while held by the police, and it is also unclear if family members will be informed both on the location of the detention and the charges made against the detainees.

In a 12 March 2012 statement, HRW said, “the draft criminal procedure law contains many positive provisions, but the government’s stated goal of improving due process will be severely undermined by allowing incommunicado detention of people in undisclosed locations. Such provisions represent a clear danger for government critics and human rights activists, and are in clear contravention of China’s international obligations.”49 In this regard, Dui Hua noted that from 2008 to 2010, more than 1,000 people were detained every year on suspicion of endangering states security, most of them for non- violent speech and association offences.50

44 'China Drops Plan to Legalize Secret Detentions', Voice of America [online]. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/east-pacific/China-Drops-Plan-to-Legalize-Secret-Detentions-141903623.html ; 'China parliament Unveils Dissident Detention Powers', Reuters [online]. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/08/us-china-npc-law-idUSBRE8270BP20120308 ; 'China Backs Down from Legalising Secret Detentions', Agence France Presse. Published 8 March 2012.See here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1187735/1/.html ; 'China Unveils New Legislation on Police Detention Power', BBC [online]. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17296145 45 'China: Don’t Legalize Incommunicado Detentions', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 12 March 2012. See here: http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/12/china-don-t-legalize-incommunicado-detentions 46 'China Backs Down from Legalising Secret Detentions', Agence France Presse. Published 8 March 2012.See here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1187735/1/.html ; See also, 'China: Don’t Legalize Incommunicado Detentions', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 12 March 2012. See here: http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/12/china-don-t-legalize-incommunicado-detentions 47 'China to Restrict Secret Detentions on Paper', Associated Press. Published 8 March 2012. See here: http://web.utsandiego.com/news/2012/mar/07/china-to-restrict-secret-detentions-_-on-paper/?print&page=all 48 'China Backs Down from Legalising Secret Detentions', Agence France Presse. Published 8 March 2012.See here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1187735/1/.html

49 'China: Don’t Legalize Incommunicado Detentions', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 12 March 2012. See here: http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/12/china-don-t-legalize-incommunicado-detentions 50 'China's New Criminal Procedure Law: "Disappearance Clauses" Revised', Dui Hua Foundation [online]. Published 19 March 2012. See here: http://www.duihuahrjournal.org/2012/03/chinas-new-criminal-procedure-law.html 67

On the other hand, HRW “welcomed provisions that could – if translated into practice – strengthen procedural protections and due process for ordinary criminal suspects, such as stricter time limits for detentions, better guarantees for access to a lawyer, and greater protection for juvenile and mentally ill defendants.”51

On 14 March 2012, the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) were finally approved at the NPC, and will take effect on 1 January 2013. Whilst the many improvements to China’s criminal justice system - including enhanced rights for juvenile offenders, women in prison, and death row inmates, as well as greater due-process rights for the vast majority of criminal cases, the modifications to the provisions on residential surveillance and arrest as they apply to suspects in endangering state security cases - are welcomed, they do not go far enough in meeting the requirements of international human rights law, according to the Dui Hua Foundation.52

Below is a comparison of the provisions for residential surveillance, criminal detention, and arrest as they first appeared in August with how they looked upon passage in March (strikethrough text denotes deletions from the August draft, while bold text denotes additions to the August draft):53

RESIDENTIAL SURVEILLANCE Article 73 (August 2011 draft) Residential Article 73 (March 2012 final) Residential surveillance shall be carried out in the residence of surveillance shall be carried out in the residence of the criminal suspect or defendant. When there is the criminal suspect or defendant. When there is no fixed residence, it may be carried out in a no fixed residence, it may be carried out in a designated abode. In cases involving crimes of designated abode. In cases involving crimes of endangering state security, terrorist activity, or endangering state security, terrorist activity, or major bribery, if carrying out [residential especially serious bribery, if carrying out surveillance] in the residence [of the criminal [residential surveillance] in the residence [of the suspect or defendant] has the potential to criminal suspect or defendant] has the potential to interfere with the investigation, it may also be interfere with the investigation, it may also be carried out in a designated abode following carried out in a designated abode following approval by the procuratorate or public security approval by the procuratorate or public security organ one level superior. But [residential organ one level superior. But [residential surveillance] may not be carried out in a place of surveillance] may not be carried out in a place of detention or place specially designated for detention or place specially designated for handling cases. handling cases.

When residential surveillance is carried out in a When residential surveillance is carried out in a designated abode, a relative of the person under designated abode, a relative of the person under residential surveillance shall be notified of the residential surveillance shall be notified of the

51 'China: Don’t Legalize Incommunicado Detentions', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 12 March 2012. See here: http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/12/china-don-t-legalize-incommunicado-detentions 52 'China's New Criminal Procedure Law: "Disappearance Clauses" Revised', Dui Hua Foundation [online]. Published 19 March 2012. See here: http://www.duihuahrjournal.org/2012/03/chinas-new-criminal-procedure-law.html 53 'China's New Criminal Procedure Law: "Disappearance Clauses" Revised', Dui Hua Foundation [online]. Published 19 March 2012. See here: http://www.duihuahrjournal.org/2012/03/chinas-new-criminal-procedure-law.html 68

reason for and location of the residential reason for and location of the residential surveillance within 24 hours after initiating the surveillance within 24 hours after initiating the residential surveillance, except when it is residential surveillance, except when it is impossible to give notice or in cases involving impossible to give notice or in cases involving crimes of endangering state security, terrorist crimes of endangering state security, terrorist activity, or major bribery, when notification has activity, or major bribery, when notification has the potential to interfere with the investigation. the potential to interfere with the investigation.

[With respect to] appointing defense counsel, [With respect to] appointing defense counsel, criminal suspects or defendants placed under criminal suspects or defendants placed under residential surveillance being carried out in a residential surveillance being carried out in a designated abode, apply the provisions of Article designated abode, apply the provisions of Article 33 of this law. 33 of this law.

The people's procuratorate shall oversee the The people's procuratorate shall oversee the legality of any decision and execution of legality of any decision and execution of residential surveillance in a designated abode. residential surveillance in a designated abode.

CRIMINAL DETENTION Article 84 (August 2011 Draft) When the public Article 83 (March 2012 Final) When the public security organ detains a person; it must show a security organ detains a person; it must show a warrant of detention. warrant of detention.

After detention, the detainee shall be immediately After detention, the detainee shall be immediately transferred to a detention center for custody no transferred to a detention center for custody no later than 24 hours. Within 24 hours of detention, later than 24 hours. Within 24 hours of detention, a relative of the detainee shall be notified of the a relative of the detainee shall be notified of the reason for and location of the detention, except reason for and location of the detention, except when it is impossible to give notice or in cases when it is impossible to give notice or in cases involving serious offenses such as crimes of involving serious offenses such as crimes of endangering state security or terrorist activity, endangering state security or terrorist activity, when notification has the potential to interfere when notification has the potential to interfere with the investigation. with the investigation. When the circumstances of interference with the investigation no longer exist, a relative of the detainee shall be notified immediately.

FORMAL ARREST Article 92 (August 2011 Draft) When a public Article 91 (March 2012 Final) When a public security organ arrests a person; it must show a security organ arrests a person, it must show a warrant of arrest. warrant of arrest.

After arrest, the arrestee shall be immediately After arrest, the arrestee shall be immediately transferred to a detention center for custody. transferred to a detention center for custody. Within 24 hours of arrest, a relative of the Within 24 hours of arrest, a relative of the

detainee shall be notified of the reason for and detainee shall be notified of the reason for and location of the arrest, except when it is impossible location of the arrest, except when it is impossible to give notice or in cases involving serious offences to give notice or in cases involving serious offenses such as crimes of endangering state security or such as crimes of endangering state security or terrorist activity, when notification has the terrorist activity, when notification has the potential to interfere with the investigation. potential to interfere with the investigation.

The outcome of these changes is mixed. As passed into law, the only situation in which authorities are allowed to waive family notification is when a suspect in a state security or terrorism case is placed under criminal detention (i.e., held in a detention centre) and “notification has the potential to interfere with the investigation.” Criminal detention can last for up to 37 days54. In a concession to critics, a new provision requires notification once doing so would no longer “interfere with the investigation”55 however what constitutes 'no longer interfere' remain solely in the hands of the authorities who have routinely dealt in the practice of, inter alia, enforced disappearances.

Authorities must notify relatives of all persons placed under formal arrest or “residential surveillance in a designated abode,” although requirements to specify the grounds and whereabouts of the detention were cut from the final legislation. This means that, with respect to “residential surveillance in a designated abode,” investigators will be allowed to hold suspects in state security, terrorism, and major bribery cases in an undisclosed location for up to six months. They also have discretion to prevent defence lawyers from meeting with suspects in these types of cases.56

54 Time limits for criminal detention carried over to the amended CPL, in Article 89, from the 1997 CPL require police to request approval for formal arrest in three days. Under “extraordinary circumstances,” that time limit may be extended to seven days, and when the detainee is a “major suspect” suspected of committing crimes in more than one location, committing offenses multiple times, or committing offenses in league with others, the time limit may be extended to 30 days. Despite these guidelines, it has become routine to delay requests for approving arrests for 30 days, after which the procuratorate has up to seven days to render a decision. ('China's New Criminal Procedure Law: "Disappearance Clauses" Revised', Dui Hua Foundation [online]. Published 19 March 2012. See here: http://www.duihuahrjournal.org/2012/03/chinas-new-criminal-procedure-law.html ) 55 'China's New Criminal Procedure Law: "Disappearance Clauses" Revised', Dui Hua Foundation [online]. Published 19 March 2012. See here: http://www.duihuahrjournal.org/2012/03/chinas-new-criminal-procedure-law.html 56 'China's New Criminal Procedure Law: "Disappearance Clauses" Revised', Dui Hua Foundation [online]. Published 19 March 2012. See here: http://www.duihuahrjournal.org/2012/03/chinas-new-criminal-procedure-law.html 70

V. CONCLUSIONS

EFFORTS TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH

Despite their determined attitude and continuous search, many families and friends of disappeared victims after 5 July 2009 are left helpless and powerless. In some cases, local police departments are counterproductive in assisting families, and these families simply cannot afford to travel to Urumqi or Beijing to appeal to the responsible authorities and institutions due to financial constraints. Nevertheless, in many cases, government officials and institutions unpretentiously refuse to release any information at all concerning the missing victims which, as outlined in this report, is a violation of international law. According to what the victims’ families have revealed to Radio Free Asia-Uyghur service (RFA - Uyghur), Urumqi City Police Department was assigned to handle registrations and investigations of all disappeared victims since the 5 July incident.57 Yet there has not been a single case where they were helpful in assisting families or friends in finding their missing loved ones, meaning that domestic legal avenues to obtain redress and truth are fruitless. Yet there has not been a single case where they were helpful in assisting families or friends in finding their missing loved ones, meaning that domestic legal avenues to obtain redress and truth are fruitless.

According to an informant who contacted RFA - Uyghur service in May 2012, a police officer of Urumqi City Police Department has admitted to an affected family member that the number of disappeared victims they have knowledge of is more than 300. In an attempt to get a precise figure on the number of victims of enforced disappearance, RFA - Uyghur service contacted Urumqi City Police Department for a brief conference. Kadir, the police officer contacted by RFA, boasted his high ranked authority at first, but anxiously denied it as soon as he realised the reporter was from RFA. Police officer Kadir then began to persistently deny any knowledge he had of disappeared victims.58 This demonstrates the Chinese authorities' continuous systematic effort to conceal the truth about the issue at hand from foreign media.

In another attempt to obtain a precise figure on the number of disappeared victims, RFA - Uyghur contacted another official named Emetjan from Urumqi City Police Department in mid-May 2012. Mr Emetjan is responsible for registering disappeared victims post-5 July 2009. Mr Emetjan informed RFA that he was continuously registering disappeared victims because he is still receiving requests and petitions from families of such victims. Although he did not provide the exact number of registered victims of disappearance, he emphasized the escalating difficulty for the Chinese authorities in concealing the truth about issue.59 Other government officials contacted by RFA – Uyghur include police officer Memetjan Ablet from the Kashgar City Government, who denied to reveal any truthful information and claimed that no police officer was sent from Kashgar to

57 '5 - Iyulda iz - Déreksiz ghayip bolghanlar (4) -- Ürümchi sheherlik saqchi idarisining bir emeldari ghayiplar heqqide söz qilishtin qorqti', Radio Free Asia [online]. Published 11 May 2011. See here: http://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/tepsili_xewer/5-iyulda-ghayib-bolghanlar- 05112012222756.html/?encoding=latin 58 '5 - Iyulda iz - Déreksiz ghayip bolghanlar (4) -- Ürümchi sheherlik saqchi idarisining bir emeldari ghayiplar heqqide söz qilishtin qorqti', Radio Free Asia [online]. Published 11 May 2011. See here: http://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/tepsili_xewer/5-iyulda-ghayib-bolghanlar- 05112012222756.html/?encoding=latin 59 'Bir saqchi bashliqining éghizidin chiqqan söz: ghayiblarning sani 300 din artuq', Radio Free Asia [online]. Published 16 May 2012. See here:http://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/tepsili_xewer/ghayib-bolghanlar-05212012144911.html/story_main?encoding=latin

Urumqi to carry out arrests after 05 July 2009. Radio Free Asia has gathered enough evidence to prove that over 800 police officers from Kashgar and other cities of Xinjiang Autonomous Region have been sent to Urumqi to specifically carry out arrests of Uyghurs after the 05 July incident.60

Radio Free Asia has been continuously making attempts to obtain the precise figure on the number of disappeared victims and their whereabouts. In December of 2012, Patigul Ghulam, Immamemet’s mother spoke with Radio Free Asia about her recent encounter with a highly ranked government official who was responsible for escorting families of disappeared victims back to Urumqi from Beijing 2 years ago. After her persistent efforts to get an answer about her son, this government official confessed to a strategy the Chinese government has employed to quiet the victims’ families. This particular government official indicated that in a meeting that took place in Beijing earlier that year, Deputy Chairman of the Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Government, Jappar Hebibulla proposed an alternative solution for the cases of disappeared victims. Mr. Hebibulla proposed to handle the situation of disappeared victims in the same manner as “escaped prisoners.” This strategy includes telling family members of disappeared victims that their missing relatives have escaped the Chinese prison or have ran away to foreign territories.61 Radio Free Asia has since communicated with several families included in this report who have confirmed that the police have indeed made inaccurate claims.

In addition, government officials and institutions at every level have been relentlessly demanding a stop to any further investigations of disappeared victims carried out by families and friends. Anyone who is searching for a missing victim has been harassed, interrogated or detained. China’s central government as well as Xinjiang regional and local authorities have continuously declined to answer questions about missing victims to any media network. Individual informants who have reached out to foreign media - such as Radio Free Asia - have been interrogated and arrested; this also applies to many of the informants and families mentioned in this report.

60 ‘Xitay saqchiliri 5-Iyuldin kéyinki ghayiplar heqqide yalghan sözlimekte’, Radio Free Asia [online]. Published 23 October 2012. See here: http://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/tepsili_xewer/ghayib-uyghur-10232012153223.html?searchterm=ghayib+bolghanlar&encoding=latin 61 ‘Teyinlengen muawin reis jappar hebibullaning ghayiblar heqqidiki teklipi: «qéchip ketkenler qatarida bir terep qilayli»’, Radio Free Asia [online]. Published 05 December. See here: http://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/tepsili_xewer/ghayib-uyghur- 12052012163726.html/story_main?encoding=latin 72

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Enclosed in this report are profiles of 34 individuals who have become victims of enforced disappearance after the 5 July incident in 2009. All victims mentioned in this report are males, with a great number of them being in their 20s at the time of their disappearance. A majority of these victims (32 out of 34) are Uyghurs with various professional backgrounds and people dependent on them. Family members and/or informants of these victims all believe that they were innocent of any crime; most of the victims are proved to not have taken parts in unrest or protests. All information enclosed in each victim’s profile have been obtained from programs produced by reporter Shohret Hoshur of Radio Free Asia - Uyghur service. All photos enclosed have been sent to Mr Hoshur, courtesy of family members and/or friends of disappeared victims.

This wave of enforced disappearances in East Turkestan, China has been a result of a series of ethnic clashes between the Uyghurs and the Han Chinese beginning on July 5, 2009. This political instability should however not be a justification for the enforced disappearances that have been felt by the Uyghurs since. This widespread practice of enforced disappearance implemented by the Chinese authorities has been one of the most disturbing developments in the Chinese government’s recent crackdown on human rights. Besides the use of enforced disappearances in East Turkestan, Human Rights Watch has documented many similar incidents of enforced disappearances in China. Many Tibetans became victims of enforced disappearance in the wake of the March 2008 unrest in Tibetan areas. Human Rights Watch also reports at least 18 enforced disappearances of lawyers, civil society activists, bloggers, and other human rights defenders in China since February 16, 2011.62

62 'Indonesia: Press China to Sign ‘Disappearances’ Treaty', Human Rights Watch [online]. Published 27 April 2012. See here: http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/04/27/indonesia-press-china-sign-disappearances-treaty 73

VI. RECOMMENTATIONS

In view of the contents of this report, the World Uyghur Congress recommends China to do the following:

Ø to bring the amendments of the revised Criminal Procedure Law so that they fall in line with international legal standards Ø to provide meaningful guarantees that enforced disappearances will not occur Ø to meet this end, sign and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances (ICCPED) Ø to release all relevant information on the whereabouts, condition and fate of forcibly disappeared individuals in accordance with international law Ø to investigate all reported disappearances in accordance to its international obligations and to provide reparations and rehabilitation where an enforced disappearance has occurred Ø to work cooperatively with the United Nations and regional international organisations Ø to ratify the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in addition to stopping all initiatives that run contrary to this vital human rights mechanism