Ilyasjan Rahman, originally from Kashgar, was a student at the Al-Azhar University in Egypt, having come to Egypt in 2014. Prior to that, he had spent a year at the Beijing Minzu University, studying Arabic and obtaining his passport to go to Egypt. He was a hafiz (someone who had memorized the Quran).
He went back to Xinjiang several times in 2015, getting married to his wife during one of them. The couple have an underage daughter, born in 2016.
Likely address in China (origin): Tukumuchuluk District, Doletbagh Township, Kashgar [as of 2018, this was officially in Pantuo Village of Shamalbagh Municipality].
Chinese passport number: E30540614.name: Elyasjan Rahman / Yiliyasijiang Reheman / 热合曼.依力亚斯江
gender: male
ethnicity: Uyghur
age: 29/06/1993
place of origin: Kashghar (Testimony 6: Tukumuchuluk district of Devletbagh township in Kashgar)
occupation: student at Al Azhar University, Egypt
Chin passport no: E30540614
He was arrested by plainclothes police when getting out of a taxi at Cairo airport where he was about to take a plane to Turkey. There had been a police raid the previous days aimed at Uyghur students in Cairo who were suspected of residing illegally in Egypt and many students had already escaped to Turkey. According to Munzire (Eliyasjan’s wife), all Uyghur students, including her husband, were holding legal student visas.
Seven days after his arrest, Elyasjan was transferred to Tora Prison in Cairo and Elyasjan was able to call his wife (on 31 August 2017). He said he was arrested because the Chinese government claimed that he was a terrorist. According to local investigators he would not be handed over to the Chinese government. They had realized that they had made a mistake and it would only be a matter of time before he was released. After this conversation, Munzire lost contact with her husband.
His daughter was born just after his arrest.
Testimony 6:
He went to Egypt in February 2014. He was a secondary school graduate. He was also a hafiz.
They both started Beijing Nationality University (a private university) with their secondary school diplomas (orta okul means secondary school in Turkish, however, they probably mean high school since they start a university with these diplomas). They started Arabic language for a year and got their passports.
They both went to Egypt with student visas. Ilyasjan went to Xinjiang in February 2015 and returned to Egypt after a month. His wife went to Xinjiang in August, Ilyasjan joined her in September, and they had their wedding there. They came back to Egypt, Ilyasjan started his university education, while she was a high school student.
Their daughter was born in July 2016.
Chinese authorities did not ask them to return before his arrest.
current location
[Presumably in Kashgar.]Previously in Tora Prison in Cairo, Egypt [now unclear]
chronology of detention(s)
On July 4, 2017, he learned that there was a police operation against Uyghur students. For this reason, he preferred using Hurghada (and not Cairo) as a means to leave Egypt. However, he and his friend Shireli Shirzat {3242} were both arrested at the Hurghada airport on July 7. They were in custody in Hurghada for a week and later were brought back to Cairo, where he was held at Tora Prison.
Ilyasjan was able to call his wife on August 31, 2017 (possibly September 1), having bribed a prison official. He said he was arrested because the Chinese government claimed that he was a terrorist. According to local investigators, he would not be handed over to the Chinese government. They had realized that they had made a mistake and it would only be a matter of time before he was released. However, Munire would lose contact with her husband after this conversation.
During the conversation, Ilyasjan also mentioned that there were three groups (colors) of prisoners where he was, and that he was in the red group, together with 15 other people.
After one and a half years, his wife learned from her brother that Ilyasjan was in Kashgar. In June 2018, someone on Facebook, named "Izitku Sırlık", messaged her and told her that her husband was at a concentration camp in Kashgar.July 2017
Testimony 6:
On July 4, 2017, he learned that there was a police operation against Uyghur students. For this reason, he preferred Hurghada (and not Cairo) to leave Egypt. However, he and his friend Shireli Shirzat (3242) were arrested in Hurghada airport on July 7. They were under custody in Hurghada for a week and later they were brought back to Cairo. He was sent to a concentration camp in Kashgar after he was returned to China.
On July 5, 2017, women with their children went to Turkey. Men could not leave. After a month, she learned that he was in a prison. Ilyasjan bribed prison personnel and called his wife. On September 1, they talked on phone for the last time. Accordingly, prisoners were separated into green, yellow and red groups. Ilyasjan was in the red group. There were 16 prisoners in total in the red group.
After one and a half years, she learned from her brother that Ilyasjan was in Kashgar. In June 2018, someone on facebook, named Izitku Sırlık, messaged her and told that her husband was in a concentration camp in Kashgar.
suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention
Ilyasjan was arrested by Egyptian police after the Chinese government accused him of terrorism. His wife mentions that the Chinese government had not requested for them to return from Egypt prior to the arrest.the Chinese government accused him of being a terrorist which is the reason why Egyptian police arrested him
last reported status
Presumably in Xinjiang, but unclear if still detained, as there has been no news of him for some time.earlier testimonies: in prison in Egypt
Testimony 5 says that he was deported to China, but doesn't give any particulars [not clear if this is the author's presumption].
how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation
Ilyasjan called his wife after his arrest.
She learned of his detention in Kashgar from her brother and an anonymous informant on Facebook.The victim called his wife after his arrest.
