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testifying party

Testimony 1: Abduweli Ayup, a language activist, linguist, and writer, originally from Kashgar but now residing in Norway. (relation unclear)

Testimony 2: Committee of Concerned Scientists, an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world. (colleague)

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

Testimony 4: Staff member at Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur.

Testimony 5: Local government employee, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur.

Testimony 6: Elise Anderson, an ethnomusicologist from the United States. (friend) 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: 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

Gheyret Abdurahman was a researcher at the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences. He was vice principal of the language institute, and a deputy head of the linguistics department. Gheyret Abdurahman was a researcher at Xinjiang Academy of social sciences, vice principal of language institute.

current location

[Possibly Urumqi, as this is where he was living.] [possibly Urumqi, as that's where he was based]

chronology of detention(s)

He was detained in March 2018. Testimony 3: He was detained in March 2018.

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

He was detained for translating Mo Yan's "Otxor Jemet". [In English, this book is called "The Red Sorghum Clan".] Testimony 3: He was detained for translating "Otxor Jemet" written by MoYan.

last reported status

Previously reported as detained.

In an article published on March 5, 2020 (https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1181738.shtml), Global Times [a Chinese propaganda outlet] claimed to have gotten in touch with Mehmet Abduweli - one of the attendees of the human rights conference in Geneva, where the World Uyghur Congress had set up an exhibition booth detailing the cases of various scholars detained in Xinjiang. According to the article, Mehmet said that his colleague, Gheyret Abdurahman, was "living a normal life" and that the two later contacted via video call. [While this should not be taken at face value, it is at least a strong indicator that the victim is alive and probably not in hard detention.] Testimony 3-5: in detention

In an article published on March 5, 2020 (https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1181738.shtml), Global Times [a Chinese propaganda outlet] claimed it got in touch with Mehmet Abduweli, one of the attendees of the human rights conference in Geneva, where the World Uyghur Congress had set up an exhibition booth detailing the cases of various scholars detained in Xinjiang. According to the article, Mehmet said that his colleague Gheyret Abdurahman was ‘living a normal life’ and that the two later contacted via video call. [While this should not be taken at face value, it is at least a strong indicator that the victim is alive and probably not in hard detention.]

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

The confirmation of his detention has come from sources in the region who are familiar with his case. Testimony 4-5: this is presumably a primary source with direct knowledge of the case.

additional information

This victim is included in the list of detained prominent Uyghurs, available at: shahit.biz/supp/list_003.pdf

Statement by the Committee of Concerned Scientists: https://concernedscientists.org/2018/12/uyghur-who-is-deputy-head-of-the-linguistics-department-at-the-academy-of-social-sciences-of-xinjiang-arrested-for-book-translation-he-did-five-years-ago/

RFA coverage: https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/kishilik-hoquq/gheyret-abduraxman-11082018145045.html
[English version: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/scholar-12102018170131.html] This victim is included in the list of detained Uyghur intellectuals (Testimony 1), available at: shahit.biz/supp/list_003.pdf

The Committee of Concerned Scientists has also issued a statement for him (Testimony 2): https://concernedscientists.org/2018/12/uyghur-who-is-deputy-head-of-the-linguistics-department-at-the-academy-of-social-sciences-of-xinjiang-arrested-for-book-translation-he-did-five-years-ago/

RFA coverage (Testimony 3): https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/kishilik-hoquq/gheyret-abduraxman-11082018145045.html

supplementary materials

entry created on: 2019-02-03

entry last modified on: 2020-04-12

last update from testifier(s): 2020-03-05