Entry of 25205
18-35
M
Uyghur
athlete
Dorbiljin
inner China
other
Jan. 2018 - Mar. 2018
--- | related to going abroad
---
(arrest)
testifying party
Gene A. Bunin, independent scholar/writer
victim's relation to testifier
No relation. I am posting information that is publicly available in the press.
about the victim
Erfan Hezim, 19. Footballer in the Chinese Super League. Signed a 5-year contract with the Jiangsu Suning Football Club in 2017.
current location
Presumably in inner China, as he's back to playing for the Jiangsu club.
[Previously in Turgun [village] Re-education Camp in Jiaochu township.]
chronology of detention(s)
February 2018.
suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention
Reportedly, for "visiting foreign countries" (Hezim visited Spain in January and Dubai in February).
last reported status
On November 29, 2018, his girlfriend posted a photo on Weibo with the caption "the hero is back", confirming in the comments that Erfan returned. (https://www.weibo.com/6411009650/H4ViTD8DQ?filter=hot&root_comment_id=0&type=comment)
Weibo posts on December 12, 2018 showed a photo of a very pale Erfan in what appears to be a plane or a train, with another post confirming that he'd be back to play for next season.
As of February 2019, he appears to be back to playing for the Jiangsu club, as reported by the SCMP: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2187101/rising-uygur-soccer-player-erfan-hezim-back-chinese-team-after
how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation
His story has been reported by Radio Free Asia: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/footballer-04132018162312.html
additional information
The FIFPro organization has also spoken out against his detention: https://www.fifpro.org/news/fifpro-statement-chinese-player-detained/en/
Mentioned in the CECC report: https://www.cecc.gov/sites/chinacommission.house.gov/files/documents/CECC%20Pris%20List_20181011_1424.pdf
photos before/after detention
places of detention
Turgun Village Camp
supplementary materials
entry created on: 2018-10-01
entry last modified on: 2020-05-08
last update from testifier(s): 2018-10-01