testifying party

Testimony 1|2: Anonymous, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur.

Testimony 3: Local police, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (from same town/region)

Testimony 4: 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: 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

Akbar Yusup is a Uyghur man who was 48 years old as of 4 January 2021. He is from Ghulja, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, and is the cousin of Abdusalam Abduweli.

[RFA was able to obtain a copy of Akbar Yusup's Chinese identification card; it is not shown in the article, but according to the card, Akbar Yusup resided in the No. 11 apartment complex on Xinhua Twelfth Road, Ghulja. (Presumably this is the No. 12 Alley of West Xinhua Road.)]

The father of Akbar Yusup is a long-time blacksmith and iron worker from Ghulja. Akbar Yusup learnt the trade from his father, but focused his own business activities on building iron fences. From approximately 2010, Akbar Yusup did business between China and Kazakhstan for a number of years until his arrest.

current location

Testimony 3: the victim is being held on the third floor of one of the buildings at the Yéngiyer concentration camp.

chronology of detention(s)

Testimony 2: Akbar Yusup went missing in 2017 after returning from Kazakhstan to his home in Ghulja, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture.

Testimony 1: Akbar Yusup was arrested by Chinese authorities on 4 April 2019. He was sent to a concentration camp after his arrest.

Testimony 1: Akbar Yusup first began to encounter trouble with the Chinese authorities in 2017, when the police called him and his cousin, Abdusalam Abduweli, back to Ghulja from Kazakhstan; both of them agreed, as they believed that they had done nothing wrong. In April 2017, Akbar Yusup (the victim) and Abdusalam Abduweli (cousin of victim) traveled from Kazakhstan back to China through the border checkpoint in Khorgas County. The police took them as soon as they crossed the border; black hoods were placed over their heads at the checkpoint and they were both taken away for a week of interrogations. After that week of interrogations had ended, both Akbar Yusup (the victim) and Abdusalam Abduweli (cousin of victim) were released.

Testimony 3: approximately 6 months ago (as of January 2021), both Ekber Yusup and Abdusalam Abduweli had been moved to the Yengiyer concentration camp in Ghulja, where they "eat, do activities and learn Chinese." Akbar Yusup (the victim) and Abdusalam Abduweli (cousin of victim) are both being held on the third floor of one of the buildings at the concentration camp.

Testimony 3: Akbar Yusup (the victim) and Abdusalam Abduweli (cousin of victim) had been "moved between three places" in [Ghulja] County, namely the Yéngiyer, Boz, and Yamachang camps. They were both held at the Boz concentration camp for a period of approximately 6 or 7 months. At the concentration camp in Yéngiyer, Testifier 4 said that both of them "learned culinary skills" including cooking and baking.

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

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last reported status

The victim is currently being held on the third floor of one of the buildings at the Yéngiyer concentration camp. It is not known when he will be released.

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

Testimony 1: not stated.
Testimony 2: This is a relative of the victim in Kazakhstan, who presumably lost all contact with the victim after he returned to China from Kazakhstan through the Khorgos border checkpoint in April 2017.
Testimony 3: The anonymous police officer reportedly worked on the victim's cases and presumably has access to official information relating to the victim.
Testimony 4: Unclear, but as a government employee, they presumably had access to official information relating to the victim.

additional information

RFA coverage (Testimony 1-4): https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/cooking-01042021130145.html

relatives

places of detention

Ghulja City Detention Center

supplementary materials

entry created on: 2021-01-31

entry last modified on: 2021-04-23

last update from testifier(s): 2021-01-04