testifying party

Testimony 1|4: Anonymous, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur.

Testimony 2: Local government employee, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (colleague)

Testimony 3: Rahile Kamal, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (acquaintance)

Testimony 5: Local police, 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: 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

Qasim Sidiq is a well-known Uyghur poet, literature teacher and amateur physicist from Ghulja City, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture.

He previously worked for the Ghulja Bureau of Education and also taught at Dadamtu Intermediate School in Ghulja City.

Testimony 3: later in his career, Qasim Sidiq also founded an organisation [name of organisation unspecified] and worked as the director of a literary and arts group. He has also published a number of physics papers and poems ("many of his poems had romantic themes and were love poems").

current location

[Unclear, as sentenced.]

chronology of detention(s)

Testimony 1: Qasim Sidiq was arrested in March 2017 and has been missing ever since. He was interrogated by police [in Xinjiang] on a number of occasions prior to his arrest, and he was "likely detained as part of a group of people deemed 'suspicious' because of previous brushes with the law." Certain song lyrics and poems that were composed by the victim "as many as 15 years ago" were used as evidence for charges of "inciting ethnic hatred" that were laid upon the victim [by the Chinese government]. (Testimony 3: Qasim Sidiq wrote the lyrics to a popular song called "Bu Keche" and, as a result of those lyrics, ran into trouble with local authorities in Xinjiang at some point in the past.)

Testimony 2: An anonymous employee of the Ghulja Bureau of Education confirmed to RFA that Qasim Sidiq had been detained, but did not provide any further details about his arrest or detention.

Testimony 4: sentenced to 20 years.

Testimony 5: sentenced in 2018.

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

Testimony 1: the victim was arrested on charges of "inciting ethnic hatred" in connection with song lyrics and poems that were composed by the victim "as many as 15 years ago".

Testimony 4: there were "problems" with some of his poems.

last reported status

In detention.

Testimony 4-5: sentenced.

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

Testimony 1+3: not stated.

Testimony 2: both worked at the Ghulja Bureau of Education at some point, so the testifier is likely to have relatively direct knowledge of the case.

Testimony 4: this is allegedly a close friend of the victim, though it's not clear how he learned the news.

Testimony 5: this is a local policeman with presumably relatively direct knowledge of the case.

additional information

RFA coverage:
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/poet-01072021174718.html (Testimony 1-3)
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/poet-01252021133515.html (Testimony 4-5)

supplementary materials

entry created on: 2021-02-18

entry last modified on: 2021-04-29

last update from testifier(s): 2021-01-25