testifying party

Testimony 1: Nathan, a participant in the Silk Road Peace Project. (relation unclear)

Testimony 2|3: Anonymous, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (relation unclear)

Testimony 4: Local police, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (from same town/region)

Testimony 5|6|7: Local government employee, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (from same town/region) Testimony 1: father daughter brother sister son mother grandfather grandmother grandson granddaughter uncle aunt nephew niece brother-in-law sister-in-law father-in-law mother-in-law son-in-law daughter-in-law cousin friend colleague former student relative relation unclear from same town/region n/a husband wife the victim lawyer child friends, family, and students great-nephew great-niece former schoolmate cousin once removed friend of relative boyfriend girlfriend friend of friend aunt-in-law acquaintance judge cousin-in-law nephew-in-law niece-in-law uncle-in-law former neighbor stepbrother stepsister stepfather stepmother stepdaughter stepson neighbor of relative detained together former teacher relative of friend relative of teacher sibling grandchild cousin twice removed trial attendee ex-wife great-uncle great-aunt in-law grandmother-in-law grandfather-in-law great-grandmother great-grandfather half-brother half-sister ex-husband direct third-party
Testimony 2: father daughter brother sister son mother grandfather grandmother grandson granddaughter uncle aunt nephew niece brother-in-law sister-in-law father-in-law mother-in-law son-in-law daughter-in-law cousin friend colleague former student relative relation unclear from same town/region n/a husband wife the victim lawyer child friends, family, and students great-nephew great-niece former schoolmate cousin once removed friend of relative boyfriend girlfriend friend of friend aunt-in-law acquaintance judge cousin-in-law nephew-in-law niece-in-law uncle-in-law former neighbor stepbrother stepsister stepfather stepmother stepdaughter stepson neighbor of relative detained together former teacher relative of friend relative of teacher sibling grandchild cousin twice removed trial attendee ex-wife great-uncle great-aunt in-law grandmother-in-law grandfather-in-law great-grandmother great-grandfather half-brother half-sister ex-husband direct third-party
Testimony 3: father daughter brother sister son mother grandfather grandmother grandson granddaughter uncle aunt nephew niece brother-in-law sister-in-law father-in-law mother-in-law son-in-law daughter-in-law cousin friend colleague former student relative relation unclear from same town/region n/a husband wife the victim lawyer child friends, family, and students great-nephew great-niece former schoolmate cousin once removed friend of relative boyfriend girlfriend friend of friend aunt-in-law acquaintance judge cousin-in-law nephew-in-law niece-in-law uncle-in-law former neighbor stepbrother stepsister stepfather stepmother stepdaughter stepson neighbor of relative detained together former teacher relative of friend relative of teacher sibling grandchild cousin twice removed trial attendee ex-wife great-uncle great-aunt in-law grandmother-in-law grandfather-in-law great-grandmother great-grandfather half-brother half-sister ex-husband direct third-party
Testimony 4: father daughter brother sister son mother grandfather grandmother grandson granddaughter uncle aunt nephew niece brother-in-law sister-in-law father-in-law mother-in-law son-in-law daughter-in-law cousin friend colleague former student relative relation unclear from same town/region n/a husband wife the victim lawyer child friends, family, and students great-nephew great-niece former schoolmate cousin once removed friend of relative boyfriend girlfriend friend of friend aunt-in-law acquaintance judge cousin-in-law nephew-in-law niece-in-law uncle-in-law former neighbor stepbrother stepsister stepfather stepmother stepdaughter stepson neighbor of relative detained together former teacher relative of friend relative of teacher sibling grandchild cousin twice removed trial attendee ex-wife great-uncle great-aunt in-law grandmother-in-law grandfather-in-law great-grandmother great-grandfather half-brother half-sister ex-husband direct third-party
Testimony 5: father daughter brother sister son mother grandfather grandmother grandson granddaughter uncle aunt nephew niece brother-in-law sister-in-law father-in-law mother-in-law son-in-law daughter-in-law cousin friend colleague former student relative relation unclear from same town/region n/a husband wife the victim lawyer child friends, family, and students great-nephew great-niece former schoolmate cousin once removed friend of relative boyfriend girlfriend friend of friend aunt-in-law acquaintance judge cousin-in-law nephew-in-law niece-in-law uncle-in-law former neighbor stepbrother stepsister stepfather stepmother stepdaughter stepson neighbor of relative detained together former teacher relative of friend relative of teacher sibling grandchild cousin twice removed trial attendee ex-wife great-uncle great-aunt in-law grandmother-in-law grandfather-in-law great-grandmother great-grandfather half-brother half-sister ex-husband direct third-party
Testimony 6: father daughter brother sister son mother grandfather grandmother grandson granddaughter uncle aunt nephew niece brother-in-law sister-in-law father-in-law mother-in-law son-in-law daughter-in-law cousin friend colleague former student relative relation unclear from same town/region n/a husband wife the victim lawyer child friends, family, and students great-nephew great-niece former schoolmate cousin once removed friend of relative boyfriend girlfriend friend of friend aunt-in-law acquaintance judge cousin-in-law nephew-in-law niece-in-law uncle-in-law former neighbor stepbrother stepsister stepfather stepmother stepdaughter stepson neighbor of relative detained together former teacher relative of friend relative of teacher sibling grandchild cousin twice removed trial attendee ex-wife great-uncle great-aunt in-law grandmother-in-law grandfather-in-law great-grandmother great-grandfather half-brother half-sister ex-husband direct third-party
Testimony 7: father daughter brother sister son mother grandfather grandmother grandson granddaughter uncle aunt nephew niece brother-in-law sister-in-law father-in-law mother-in-law son-in-law daughter-in-law cousin friend colleague former student relative relation unclear from same town/region n/a husband wife the victim lawyer child friends, family, and students great-nephew great-niece former schoolmate cousin once removed friend of relative boyfriend girlfriend friend of friend aunt-in-law acquaintance judge cousin-in-law nephew-in-law niece-in-law uncle-in-law former neighbor stepbrother stepsister stepfather stepmother stepdaughter stepson neighbor of relative detained together former teacher relative of friend relative of teacher sibling grandchild cousin twice removed trial attendee ex-wife great-uncle great-aunt in-law grandmother-in-law grandfather-in-law great-grandmother great-grandfather half-brother half-sister ex-husband direct third-party
Testimony 8: add father daughter brother sister son mother grandfather grandmother grandson granddaughter uncle aunt nephew niece brother-in-law sister-in-law father-in-law mother-in-law son-in-law daughter-in-law cousin friend colleague former student relative relation unclear from same town/region n/a husband wife the victim lawyer child friends, family, and students great-nephew great-niece former schoolmate cousin once removed friend of relative boyfriend girlfriend friend of friend aunt-in-law acquaintance judge cousin-in-law nephew-in-law niece-in-law uncle-in-law former neighbor stepbrother stepsister stepfather stepmother stepdaughter stepson neighbor of relative detained together former teacher relative of friend relative of teacher sibling grandchild cousin twice removed trial attendee ex-wife great-uncle great-aunt in-law grandmother-in-law grandfather-in-law great-grandmother great-grandfather half-brother half-sister ex-husband add add direct third-party

Update 

Name:    Description:    unverified verified    1 2 3 4 5    Add

about the victim

Obulqasim Abdurehim is an Uyghur man. He was born on 1 October 1973 and is currently 47 years old.

He is a married father of three children and worked as an IT technician for China Telecom in Kashgar city since 1995.

Obulqasim Abdurehim was also a member of a meshrep (a traditional Uyghur men's gathering) that celebrated various Uyghur cultural expressions such as poetry, music and dance. Additionally, his meshrep collected and distributed money for needy families. In total (including Obulqasim Abdurehim), 16 men took part in his meshrep.

His ID number is 653101197310014019.

current location

Testimony 3: Qosh'eriq Prison in Korgas.

chronology of detention(s)

Testimony 2: Obulqasim and other members of the meshrep group had been previously arrested and interrogated in 2014, because of their donations to religious leaders who were detained in 2014 on "extremism" charges.

Testimony 1:

Obulqasim Abdurehim disappeared in May 2017. It is implied that he was arrested at that time. He is presumed to have been sent to a concentration camp.

The testimony states that most of the other men in his meshrep [names unspecified] were also detained on the same night in May 2017.

Obulqasim Abdurehim was sentenced to 7 years in prison at an unspecified point in time.

In addition, following his detention, his wife received a notice that Obulqasim Abdurehim was being fined 90,000 yuan for illegally having a third child. At the time, Uyghurs were only allowed two children under China's family planning regulations. His wife reportedly managed to collect the 90,000 yuan (which the testifier specifies was equal to approximately 2 or 3 years of income) to register the third child.

Testimony 3: Obulqasim Abdurehim was interrogated by authorities for a period of six months following his initial arrest in May 2017. During his interrogation, Obulqasim Abdurehim reportedly acknowledged to authorities that he and his wife had violated family-planning policy approximately a decade earlier [i.e. in approximately 2007]. In approximately 2007, his wife was pregnant with their third child. Authorities demanded that they abort the child, but the couple chose to pay a fine to the local government instead of complying with the demand. During Obulqasim Abdurehim's interrogations in 2017, the authorities reportedly told him that the violation of family-planning policy constituted evidence of "religious extremism," despite the fact that Obulqasim Abdurehim and his wife had accepted the fine as punishment at the time of the incident.

Testimony 7: According to an anonymous cadre at the Kashgar Municipal Family-Planning Department, Obulqasim Abdurehim was sentenced to 17 years in prison. The cadre adds that Obulqasim Abdurehim has been "moved around a number of times," but did not confirm to RFA whether or not Obulqasim Abdurehim was being held at the Qosheriq Prison in Korgas County.

Testimony 4: An anonymous security officer from Qizildowe Neighbourhood, Kashgar City reportedly confirmed to RFA that Obulqasim Abdurehim was among those from the meshrep detained in 2017. The officer also confirmed that Obulqasim Abdurehim was "still there" [in detention], but was unsure about exactly where Obulqasim Abdurehim was being held, and whether or not Obulqasim Abdurehim had been handed a prison sentence.

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

Testimony 1: It is thought that Obulqasim Abdurehim was detained as a result of his participation in the meshrep.

Testimony 2: The anonymous source who spoke to Radio Free Asia has said that the entire meshrep group was detained on charges of "illegal gathering and organizing", which related to their work from 2014.

Testimony 5: An anonymous employee of the neighbourhood committee confirmed to RFA that Obulqasim Abdurehim and his friends [in the meshrep] were detained in 2017 because they had "organized and taken part in meshreps."

Testimony 6: An anonymous employee of the Kashgar Municipal Family-Planning Department reportedly told RFA that Obulqasim Abdurehim's case "had to do with violation limitations on the number of children in minority families", but the employee was unfamiliar with Obulqasim Abdurehim's records, and referred all further questions to a cadre who had worked at the department for a longer period of time.

last reported status

Obulqasim Abdurehim has been sentenced to 7 years in prison and is currently in state custody at Qorghas prison in Ili prefecture.

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

Testimony 1-3: not stated.

Testimony 4-7: these are local government/police sources, and presumably have relatively direct knowledge of the case.

additional information

The victim is also included in the list of prominent detained Uyghurs (Testimony 1), available at: https://shahit.biz/supp/list_003.pdf

RFA mention (Testimony 2): https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/chief-02092021180453.html

RFA coverage (Testimony 3-7): https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/meshrep-02232021171936.html

Testimony 3: authorities also fined Obulqasim Abdurehim's family an additional 90,000 yuan following his detention in 2017 for the same violation of family-planning policy that had occurred approximately a decade beforehand, despite the fact that Obulqasim Abdurehim and his wife had already paid a fine at the time of the incident. Obulqasim Abdurehim's wife paid the second 90,000 yuan fine (that was issued in 2017) in the hope that Obulqasim Abdurehim would be released, but he never was.

places of detention

Korgas County Detention Center

supplementary materials

entry created on: 2020-11-04

entry last modified on: 2021-05-01

last update from testifier(s): 2021-02-23