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testifying party

Testimony 1: Anonymous, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (from same town/region)

Testimony 2|3: Local police, as reported by Radio Free Asia Uyghur. (from same town/region)

Testimony 4|5: Dilnur Reyhan, an Uyghur scholar, originally from Ghulja but now in France. (from same town/region) 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: 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

Nurtay (Hajim) Iskender was a famous Uyghur businessman and philanthropist, having amassed a fortune through an international tourism and shipping firm that he set up shortly after China expanded trade relations with Central Asia in the early 1990s. In 2007, he invested 3.8 million RMB to launch the "Nurtay Iskender School for Orphans", which offered free accommodation, food, and education to 150 Uyghur children whose parents had died, as well as other children without guardians, from across Xinjiang. He is reported to have been a widely admired figure in the Uyghur community. Nurtay Hajim, who is in his 60s, is a famous uyghur businessman and philanthropist: he amassed a fortune through an international tourism and shipping firm he set up shortly after China expanded trade relations with the nations of Central Asia in the early 1990s. In 2007, he invested 3.8 million yuan (U.S. $548,700) to launch the Nurtay Iskender School for Orphans, which offers free accommodation, food and education for 150 Uyghur children whose parents have died and other kids who lack guardians, from across the XUAR. He is a widely admired figure in the uyghur community.
Since his arrest, the school for orphans has been closed down.

current location

[Unclear, as sentenced.] Most probably around Ili (Ghulja).

chronology of detention(s)

A source from the region said that he was taken into custody not long after returning to China from Kazakhstan in April 2018. The same source also said that rumors began to circulate in June that he had been tried and sentenced (a police officer from the region confirmed independently that a trial was indeed held at that time). Testimony 1: Not long after April 2018.

Testimony 3: A trial seems to have taken place around july 2018, according to a police station supervisor contacted by RFA who didn't make any further comments.

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

--- Testimony 1: A Uyghur source from the XUAR recently told RFA’s Uyghur Service that Hajim had been taken into custody by local authorities shortly after returning to Ili Kazakh from a business trip to neighboring Kazakhstan.

last reported status

The initial source who spoke to Radio Free Asia says that he heard of the victim being sentenced to 18 years in prison.

In mid-2020, Dilnur Reyhan said that she heard he had actually been sentenced to life. Testimony 1: Other sources mentions he has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Testimony 4-5: sentenced to life

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

The base source who spoke to Radio Free Asia is someone in the region, though it's not clear what their exact connections and information channels are (they did mention trying to contact the victim's family, however, suggesting that it might be someone acquainted with the family).

The police officers that Radio Free Asia spoke to are primary sources, in the sense that they are likely to have direct knowledge of the case by virtue of their job and geographical location.

According to Dilnur Reyhan, relatives of the victim learned of the life sentence through unofficial sources. Testimony 1: the source is in the region, though it's not clear exactly how they learned the news.

Testimony 2-3: these are official government sources.

Testimony 4: not stated.

Testimony 5: through relatives of the victim, who learned through unofficial sources that he had been sentenced to life.

additional information

Radio Free Asia coverage:
- https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/philanthropist-11052018151422.html
- https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/kishilik-hoquq/Nurtay-hajim-10272018014304.html

Global Voices coverage: https://globalvoices.org/2020/06/25/history-repeats-itself-chinese-state-terror-and-the-dismantling-of-uyghur-neo-jadidism/

According to one of the police sources, the school for orphans has been closed down since Nurtay Iskender's arrest. Dilnur Reyhan claims that it has been turned into a camp, with many of the teachers who used to work there now arrested. Reports:
- https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/philanthropist-11052018151422.html (Testimony 1-3)
- https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/xewerler/kishilik-hoquq/Nurtay-hajim-10272018014304.html
- https://twitter.com/Uyghurspeaker/status/1056141195582324736
- https://globalvoices.org/2020/06/25/history-repeats-itself-chinese-state-terror-and-the-dismantling-of-uyghur-neo-jadidism/ (Testimony 5)

Testimony 5: the school for orphans was turned into a camp and many of the teachers having worked there were arrested.

supplementary materials

entry created on: 2018-11-10

entry last modified on: 2020-09-09

last update from testifier(s): 2021-03-01