testifying party (submitted by third party)

This testimony has been imported from a report by the World Uighur Council.

victim's relation to testifier

-

about the victim

Shohret Tursun was a detainee who beaten to death on September 18th in the brutal aftermath of the 2009 July riots in Urumqi. He was from Langan township (兰干乡), Horgos county. He was among some 40 men from Horgos detained around the time of deadly protests July 5 in the regional capital, Urumqi. He was transferred from Urumqi to Horgos county jail roughly a week before his death.

Ershidin Israil was detained for being witness to this death in 2011.

current location

Huocheng (Horgos) county, Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture

chronology of detention(s)

The victim was detained between July and September 18th in 2009.

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

In relation to the July 5 protests in Urumqi.

last reported status

Tursun died in police custody on September 18, 2009, and both family members and the local imam Alim Kari told RFA his body was returned to his family covered in bruises. The local officials then forced the family to bury the body a day after his death, without proper investigation.

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

The original testifier witnessed the event and a third party preserved his testimony. It has been reproduced here.

additional information

Tursun, a member of the Uyghur ethnic minority, was among some 40 men from Qorghas detained around the time of deadly protests July 5 in the regional capital, Urumqi.

https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/WUC-Refugee-Report-Updated-June-2017.pdf
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/charges-06142011163646.html
WUC/UHRP report: https://docs.uhrp.org/pdf/WUC-UHRP-Alternative-Report-to-CAT-56.pdf
RFA report: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/death-incustody-09192009144227.html

entry created on: 2019-05-14

entry last modified on: 2019-05-28

last update from testifier(s): 2011-06-14