Abdugheni Abdulla ran the "Tejelli" bookstore in Kashgar's Old City. He was friends with many writers and intellectuals and had a passion for literature. In April 2017, he was arrested and sentenced to 7 years.

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testifying party (* direct submission)

Testimony 1*|2*: Gene A. Bunin, independent scholar and curator of shahit.biz. (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: 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 

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about the victim

Abdugheni Abdulla, retired, ran a bookstore named "Tejelli" in Kashgar's Old City together with his son, Mawlanjan. He had a clear passion for literature and seemed to be friends with many writers and intellectuals. The store had a number of old, hard-to-find books. Local kids would also visit often during breaks from school.

The family also owned a store in Urumqi, not far from Nanmen (南门). Abdugheni Abdulla (阿布都艾尼·阿布都拉), retired, ran a bookstore named "Tejelli" in Kashgar's Old City together with his son, Mawlanjan. He had a clear passion for literature and seemed to be friends with many writers and intellectuals. The store had a number of old, hard-to-find books. Local kids would also visit often during breaks from school.

The family also owned a store in Urumqi, not far from Nanmen (南门).

current location

According to someone who knows him: in a closed prison in Aksu. According to someone who knows him: in a closed prison in Aksu.

chronology of detention(s)

In April 2017, according to someone who knows him. This is corroborated by his WeChat moments, which show a string of posts that end on April 2, 2017. In April 2017, according to someone who knows him. This is corroborated by his WeChat moments, which show a string of posts that end on April 2, 2017.

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

I don't know the official verdict, but his bookstore dealt almost exclusively in Uyghur literature (including pre-censorship first editions of old, potentially sensitive novels). His last WeChat post advertises his having obtained first editions of “Iz” and "Oyghanghan Zemin", historical novels that - I think - were already banned by then. It's possible that this post served as the catalyst for his arrest. I don't know the official verdict, but his bookstore dealt almost exclusively in Uyghur literature (including pre-censorship first editions of old, potentially sensitive novels). His last WeChat post advertises his having obtained first editions of “Iz” and "Oyghanghan Zemin", historical novels that - I think - were already banned by then. It's possible that this post served as the catalyst for his arrest.

last reported status

Presumably still in a closed prison in Aksu, where he's allegedly serving a 7-year sentence. But I can't know for sure. Presumably still in a closed prison in Aksu, where he's allegedly serving a 7-year sentence. But I can't know for sure.

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

Someone in Kashgar and familiar with the situation told me in person, while I was there. Someone in Kashgar and familiar with the situation told me in person, while I was there.

additional information

His son, Mawlanjan, was also arrested and taken to a camp (with visits from family permitted).

The bookstore was closed for some time and only reopened in November 2017, following "inspections" to verify that all the books sold were approved. However, I later heard that the people running it (Abdugheni's relatives) were planning to close it again. The website tianyancha.com lists it as "out of business", and someone who visited the city in 2019 said that it was now a mobile-phone shop.

Online business description of the bookstore in Kashgar (also attached below): http://archive.is/ksLER His son, Mawlanjan, was also arrested and taken to a camp (with visits from family permitted).

The bookstore was closed for some time and only reopened in November 2017, following "inspections" to verify that all the books sold were approved. However, I later heard that the people running it (Abdugheni's relatives) were planning to close it again. The website tianyancha.com lists it as "out of business".

Testimony 2: I learned from someone who went to the region in 2019 that this was now a mobile phone store.

Online business description of the bookstore in Kashgar: https://m.tianyancha.com/company/3142846946

relatives

supplementary materials

entry created on: 2019-04-20

entry last modified on: 2020-04-10

last update from testifier(s): 2019-04-20