Reshide Dawut was a famous singer in the 1980s and 1990s, and part of the Xinjiang Arts & Culture Bureau (新疆文化厅).
Address: Arts & Culture Bureau Residential Area, Urumqi.Rashida Dawut, famous singer in 80,90s. she was arrested when the government cracked down the artists in Xinjiang Art & culture beauru (Xinjiang wenhuating. She was taken November 2018. No one heard from her since then. Her mum passed away in February 2019, her mother in law who is mother in law's mu passed away in march 2019. Rashida appay was not part of any of their funerals. Now, we heard from social media that she was released 2 months ago. around May 2019. However, in a mentally instable condition. My mother in law is totally devastated, as she can not verify the information also could not talk to anyone about her mum's death.
current location
[Presumably in Urumqi.]Xinjiang wenhuating residential area. Urumqi
[unclear, as sentenced]
chronology of detention(s)
She was detained in November 2018. Her relatives abroad heard that she was not present for her mother and mother-in-law's funerals in February and March of 2019. They heard that she was released in May 2019.
There is conflicting information regarding her fate afterwards, however. A number of sources have reported that she was sentenced, with one anonymous source reporting to Radio Free Asia that she was sentenced to 15 years in a secret trial in Urumqi in late 2019. Radio Free Asia has claimed to get confirmation of Reshide being sentenced from both a former co-worker and court employees (with one employee saying that she heard of the 15-year sentence, and that it took place "half a year ago", which would confirm the anonymous report). At the same, it was reported to Gene A. Bunin by an anonymous source that she is actually out of detention. [It is thus not clear if she was never sentenced and there were reporting/communication errors, or if the news of the sentence is true but the sentence has been deferred or modified.]November 2018
[Testimony 3: sentenced to prison in 2020]
[Testimony 4: sentenced to 15 years in a secret trial in Urumqi in late 2019]
suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention
Her niece-in-law attributes her detention to her being a traditional artist ("she sang Uyghur folk songs").
An anonymous source said to be familiar with the situation claimed that she was sentenced for "separatism".sang Uyghur folk songs
[unlikely that this was reason given]
[Testimony 4: separatism]
last reported status
Unclear, as there are conflicting reports.
Her niece-in-law alleges that she was in a mentally unstable condition when she was released in May 2019.unknown
[Testimony 3-6: sentenced]
[Testimony 7: she is "out", i.e. not in detention]
[Testimony 8: court worker heard that the victim was sentenced to 15 years "half a year ago" (as of February-March 2020)]
how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation
Her niece-in-law learned about her detention "through social media".
It is not clear how Abduweli Ayup learned the news.
The sources contacted by Radio Free Asia are based in the region, with some working in the court system, and presumably have more direct knowledge of the case.
Gene A. Bunin got the news that she was not in detention from an anonymous source who heard it said by the victim's relative.social media
[Testimony 2-3: not stated]
[Testimony 4: presumably by virtue of being in the region and somehow being close to the victim]
[Testimony 5: presumably by having relatively direct knowledge from being a former colleague of the victim - the testifier is a former member of the XUAR choir]
[Testimony 6: from working in the Urumqi court system and presumably having some direct knowledge of the case]
[Testimony 7: from an anonymous source citing the victim's relative]
additional information
Her phone number before detention: +86 131 9980 7252.
