testifying party

Testimony 1: China Central Television, the predominant state-owned television network in Mainland China.

Testimony 2|3: CGTN, an international English-language news channel based in Beijing and owned by China Central Television. 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: 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

Ablizhkari Obul (阿不力孜喀日•奥布力, 阿布力孜•吾不力), 32 years old. According to the interview, he “especially liked painting animals and people, but his grandmother said it is forbidden to do so in Islam”. He said before the camps he couldn’t distinguish right from wrong (haohuai bufen). He said when he first arrived at the camp, he was excited seeing the “happy environment”. In the video documentary, his wife Gulanbar Damolla (古兰拜尔*达毛拉) and his son visit him at camp.

Testimony 2: his wife says that they've been married for ten years (Testimony 3: approx. eleven).

current location

Testimony 3: Kashgar City.

chronology of detention(s)

Testimony 3: One of the victim's neighbours reportedly heard about the alleged family violence and suggested that the victim should go to a "vocational training center". The victim reportedly "took the advice and started attending classes in May 2018" to "save his family from being dashed on the rocks". (The information in the video conflicts with the above, as the victim states that his wife was the one who suggested he go to a vocational training center after a neighbour spoke to local police.)

Testimony 3: The victim is reportedly now a professional painter, after having been released from the "training" in March 2019 and opening an art gallery in the Apak Khoja Mausoleam in Kashgar with two friends.

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

Testimony 3: The victim reportedly "dropped his career" a few years after graduating in fine arts from a local college. The article implies that he was radicalized after watching a video online over a period of three months, from which he developed a belief that "art is haram". The video reportedly also said that "women cannot go out to work or make money because that betrays Islamic doctrines." (The article alleges that the victim "beat his wife" multiple times "because she insisted on going to work." An apology from the victim [presumably to his wife] is shown in the video. The article also alleges that the victim threw a bowl at his wife's head on one occasion in 2014, causing her to bleed, because his wife reportedly said she would "go to work tomorrow".)

Testimony 3: After watching the aforementioned video online (which was approximately three years into his marriage), the victim reportedly threw away all of his brushes and found a job in sales, which the article says he "had never been trained for". The victim reportedly "smashed" his art gallery in Kashgar Old City. (The information in the video accompanying the article conflicts with the above slightly, as it implies the victim's son is using one of the victim's old brushes.)

last reported status

Testimony 1: In re-education camp

Testimony 2: The victim has been released from detention. After being released, he reportedly opened a gallery in Apaq Khoja Mazar with the support of the local government and now operates his own art business. He is also stated to be [sic] "a partner in a gallery at the Tomb of the Fragrant Concubine scenic spot".

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

Testimony 1-3: state media "interviewed" the victim directly.

additional information

Coverage in written state media:

http://www.chinanews.com/wap/detail/zw/sh/2018/10-26/8660223.shtml
http://www.chinaxinjiang.cn/zixun/xjxw/201811/t20181106_571417.htm

Testimony 2: The victim says that he once had a stomach ache [in detention] and by midnight, the pain was unbearable. When the teacher heard about it, he took the victim to the medical facility at the camp. The teacher reportedly stayed with the victim whilst he had a check-up and intravenous drip.

Testimony 3 (article version): https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-01-22/Muslim-man-paints-again-after-de-radicalization-NsZ7ySK8Kc/index.html

supplementary materials

entry created on: 2019-04-04

entry last modified on: 2020-09-17

last update from testifier(s): 2020-08-24