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testifying party

Testimony 1|4: Local government employee, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (from same town/region)

Testimony 2: Anonymous, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (from same town/region)

Testimony 3|5: Local police, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (from same town/region)

Testimony 6: Xinjiang government records, as reported by Adrian Zenz. 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

Rehmutulla Shirbaqi was a ~2-year-old boy, living with his grandparents because his parents had both been detained.

Address: Chokan Jilgha Village, Zawa Municipality, Karakash County, Hotan Prefecture (和田地区墨玉县扎瓦镇乔坎吉勒尕村). name: Rahmutullah Shirbaqi
gender: male
ethnicity: Uyghur
age: 2
place of origin: Hotan prefecture, Qaraqash (Moyu) county, Zawa township, Chokanjilgha village

His parents are both in the Bostankol camp [Qaraqash No. 1 camp] (since approx. early 2018) and their son Rahmutullah Shirbaqi was in the care of his grandparents when he died after falling through ice into an irrigation ditch in Hotan prefecture. He disappeared from this home on 21 DEC 2018, where he was living with his grandmother Mahtumhan Tursunniyaz, 68, and his grandfather is Matnury Mahsut, 78, (as of January 2019). His home is in Hotan prefecture, Qaraqash (Moyu) county, Zawa township, Chokanjilgha village. His body was found three days after his disappearance.

current location

Died in Karakash. Died in Karakash.

chronology of detention(s)

His parents were both detained because of a "phone issue" and sent to the Bostankol (No. 1) camp in Karakash at some point in early 2018. Government records from April 2018 do not mention the parents as being in detention, so it is possible that they were detained in April or soon after.

Following their detention, Rehmutulla was being looked after by his grandparents, Mehtumhan Tursunniyaz and Metnuri Mehsut. On December 2018, he disappeared from home, with his frozen body being found in an irrigation ditch three days later. not detained

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

His predicament is believed to be the result of both parents being detained. Testimony 5: the parents were detained for a "phone issue".

last reported status

Deceased. deceased

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

One of the police officers who spoke to Radio Free Asia said that the victim's sister's teacher contacted him about the case.

Other local officials and police did not specify how they learned about the incident, but would presumably have fairly direct knowledge by virtue of their positions and physical proximity. Testimony 1-2: not stated.

Testimony 3: the victim's sister's teacher contacted the police.

Testimony 4-5: these are local officials and police, with presumably direct knowledge of the case.

additional information

Radio Free Asia coverage: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/drowning-01082019130159.html

The Xinjiang authorities replied to the case (https://archive.is/K0Fvb, https://archive.vn/GeG3E) in January 2020, saying that the parents' names were Shirbaqi Emetbaqi and Bujennet Jappar, and that they were never detained. This introduces an additional contradiction in that the grandfather's name, as reported by Radio Free Asia, would imply that either the mother or father should have Metnuri as their patronymic. [These contradictions cannot be reconciled at the moment.] RFA coverage (Testimony 1-5): https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/drowning-01082019130159.html

The victim is also listed in government records obtained by scholar Adrian Zenz (Testimony 6). At that point (the file appears to be from April 2018), there is no remark regarding his parents being detained, and so it is possible that they were detained sometime after. His ID: 653222201612270831. Chinese name: 热合木图拉·西热瓦克.

entry created on: 2019-03-21

entry last modified on: 2021-02-10

last update from testifier(s): 2018-12-21