According to local police records, Merhaba Musa was arrested in July 2018 for chatting with her friend abroad and expressing coded criticism of the camp system. Seen as "leaking secrets", she was provisionally sentenced to 10+ years.

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testifying party

Testimony 1|2: Melikezat Abliz, a resident of Norway. (friend)

Testimony 3: Urumqi police records, as reported by Yael Grauer.

Testimony 4: Melikezat Abliz, as reported by Aftenposten. (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: 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: 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

Merhaba Musa was living with her parents in Urumqi. She has a son, and was working at a bus station ticket office in the city.

Residential address: Hengchang Neighborhood (恒昌小区), Shuimogou District, Urumqi.

Registered address: Apt. 302, Entrance No. 3, Building No. 14, District 4, 1186 South Qidaowan Road, Shuimogou District, Urumqi (乌鲁木齐市水磨沟区七道湾南路1186号4区14号楼3单元302号). Merhaba Musa was living with her parents in Urumqi.

Address: Hengchang Neighborhood (恒昌小区), Tianshan District, Urumqi.

Testimony 3:

Name in Chinese: 美丽哈巴•木萨
ID: 650105198003020045

Registered address: Apt. 302, Entrance No. 3, Building No. 14, District 4, 1186 South Qidaowan Road, Shuimogou District, Urumqi (乌鲁木齐市水磨沟区七道湾南路1186号4区14号楼3单元302号).

Testimony 4: she has a son and worked at a bus station ticket office in Urumqi.

current location

No. 3 Pre-Trial Detention Center in Urumqi. [Presumably in Urumqi.]

chronology of detention(s)

Detained and taken to the No. 3 pre-trial detention center on July 14, 2018. The case was sent to the Shuimogou District Procuratorate in mid-August 2018. By early October 2018, the procuratorate had already established a provisional 10+ year sentence, with the case sent to the city procuratorate. Testimony 1-2: Not stated. Only heard about her arrest recently.

Testimony 3: Detained and taken to the No. 3 pre-trial detention center on July 14, 2018. The case was sent to the Shuimogou District Procuratorate in mid-August 2018. By early October 2018, the procuratorate had already established a provisional 10+ year sentence, with the case sent to the city procuratorate.

suspected and/or official reason(s) for detention

The local police detained her on the suspicion of "stealing, obtaining, purchasing, and illegally providing state secrets and intelligence to parties abroad" (境外窃取、刺探、收买、非法提供国家秘密、情报罪).

This is the official charge that resulted from her chatting with her friend abroad, Melikezat Abliz, and telling her in code her criticisms of people being taken to "transformation through education" (与境外人员买里克扎提·阿不里孜使用暗语聊可疑内容, 议论疑似教育转化人员的情况等). Testimony 3: The local police detained her on the suspicion of "stealing, obtaining, purchasing, and illegally providing state secrets and intelligence to parties abroad" (境外窃取、刺探、收买、非法提供国家秘密、情报罪).

This is the official charge that resulted from her chatting with her friend abroad, Melikezat Abliz, and telling her in code her criticisms of people being taken to "transformation through education" (与境外人员买里克扎提·阿不里孜使用暗语聊可疑内容, 议论疑似教育转化人员的情况等).

last reported status

Facing prosecution, with the local procuratorate already having set a provisional 10+ year sentence, with the case now being handled by the city procuratorate. Testimony 1: In a camp.

Testimony 2: No news since she was taken to camp in 2017.

Testimony 3: Facing prosecution, with the local procuratorate already having set a provisional 10+ year sentence, with the case now being handled by the city procuratorate.

how testifier(s) learned of victim's situation

Melikezat learned of the arrest from an acquaintance.

The Urumqi police records are reports and data that come directly from the local public security organs. Learned from an acquaintance.

additional information

Aftenposten feature: https://www.aftenposten.no/shared/verden/i/yRW98a/jeg-haaper-jeg-ikke-blir-sendt-paa-skole-skrev-merhaba-40-til-beste

Amnesty International case info [has some inconsistencies with official information]: https://xinjiang.amnesty.org/#case-SR047 (Redacted) police record (Testimony 3):

美丽哈巴•木萨涉嫌为境外窃取、刺探、收买、非法提供国家秘密、情报罪案。

经初步审查：涉线人员美丽哈巴•木萨（女，维吾尔族，身份证号650105198003020045，户籍所在地: 乌鲁木齐市水磨沟区七道湾南路1186号4区14号楼3单元302号），与境外人员买里克扎提•阿不里孜（女，维吾尔族，身份证号XXX，户籍地：XXX），使用暗语聊可疑内容。议论疑似教育转化人员的情况等。2018年7月14日将美丽哈巴•木萨刑事拘留至三看。目前水区法院已预判10年以上，案卷将通过市局报送市检察院审理。

Aftenposten feature (Testimony 4): https://www.aftenposten.no/shared/verden/i/yRW98a/jeg-haaper-jeg-ikke-blir-sendt-paa-skole-skrev-merhaba-40-til-beste

places of detention

Former Urumqi No. 3 Detention Center

supplementary materials

entry created on: 2019-10-10

entry last modified on: 2021-05-31

last update from testifier(s): 2018-11-26