A testimony from our “100 Camp Testimonies” Book
I am originally from Monghulkure County (Zhaosuxian 昭苏县), Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, East Turkistan. I currently live in Turkey. I would like to testify for my husband and other relatives.
When I sent my two children to Chinese kindergarten, my kids were forced to eat something we did not know about, and I told them not to eat unknown food. An employee from the kindergarten contacted me several times, telling me that I was not cooperating with them. When I went to pick up my children, I was not allowed to enter the building because I wore a headscarf. They also would not let me attend the parent-teacher meeting. I used to own a store at Subhi Mall in Monghulkure County, and the police showed up unannounced multiple times at my store, forcing me to remove my headscarf. On the street, the Chinese policemen, who were armed with guns and pistols, stopped me and checked my ID, after which they told me that they would detain me without any warning next time if I continued to wear my headscarf.
Personal liberty is nonexistent in East Turkistan, and in order to get my freedom back as well as considering my two children’s education, I moved to Egypt in December 2013. After we arrived in Egypt, I sent my two children to a public school, one of whom was five years old, while the other was seven years old at that time, and I was working hard to provide them good education in Egypt. Back then, my husband managed to visit us several times, and when he returned to East Turkistan after each visit, he did not run into any problems in connection with the Chinese authorities. I also brought my children home two or three times when they had school breaks, and returned to Egypt before their school started.
During my husband’s last visit in Egypt, from January to April 2016, he was summoned to go to his local police station back in East Turkistan. He had to return home so as not to cause retaliatory actions against his parents and his relatives, while I continued to stay in Egypt. I returned home at the end of April 2016, and when I was there, I did not feel safe, not even in my own home. So I moved around a bit, first to Ürümchi, then to Turpan, and lastly to Khotan. We lived in fear, with no peace of mind.
In August 2016, my husband was detained by armed Chinese policemen at a gathering, to which he had been invited as a guest. My younger daughter and my mother were also there, and they asked the police where they were taking him. They did not answer the question, and said that they were just following orders while pointing the guns towards other people. My husband was accused of financing “terrorist” activities, which was an unfounded accusation. He was later released at the end of October 2016.
Between 2013 and 2016, I was travelling back and forth between Egypt and East Turkistan. It was normal for my husband to provide for his family, i.e., sending money to us when we were in Egypt. The Chinese regime intentionally equated his financial support to his family to financing terrorist activities, for which he was held unjustly for two months. After he was released, I had to take both of my children abroad again without even telling him. At that time, I was pregnant with my third child, of which my husband was not aware. I had to leave, otherwise I would not have been allowed to give birth there due to the regime’s strict birth control policies. If I had stayed, I would have been subjected to forced abortion. I left East Turkistan on October 14, 2016, and I gave birth to my third child On April 1, 2017 in Egypt.
On April 11, 2017, I heard that my husband had been detained for the second time. In late 2019, about two and a half years later, I heard that he had been released once and detained again a few days later. I have not been able to obtain any information about my husband ever since, not knowing whether he was sentenced to prison or is still being held in an internment camp.
Ismayil Iskendar, my father-in-law, was born in 1946, who was a well-educated businessman that supported education by donating money to individuals and schools. Like my husband, he was also financially well-off, probably for which he was detained in 2019. I heard that he had been sentenced to nine years in prison.
Abdujelil Abduhelil, my nephew (my brother’s younger son), was born on May 3, 2003, who was detained and taken to an internment camp circa March 2021, and later sentenced to one and a half years on his 18th birthday—May 3, 2021. He should have continued his education, but instead he was unjustly interned and sentenced to prison.
Abdurishid Arup, my brother-in-law (my sister Peride Ismayil’s husband), was born in 1985, who was a businessman and a taxi driver. He was extralegally detained and later sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Yusuf Isa, my brother-in-law (my sister Ilminur Ismayil’s husband), is from the Zayumku neighborhood of Ghulja city, who was detained in 2016, and there has been no news about him ever since.
Talib Karim and Alim Karim, born circa 1966 and circa 1976 respectively, are from the second village of Monghulkure County, who were detained and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Shöhret, my husband’s friend, is from the second village of Monghulkure County, who was also sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was simply a hard-working family man trying to provide for his family.
Mamut Kari (aka. Mumutjan), my uncle, is from the city of Shihezi (石河子), who was detained in 2016, and I do not know the length of his prison term. His son Muhammad Mamutjan is also from Shihezi, who was also detained in 2016, and three days after his detention his dead body was returned to his family. The local authority even banned the local community from gathering for his funeral prayer; as a result, my mother did not go to Shihezi to attend his funeral.
Memetjan, my husband’s friend, was born circa 1981, who is also from the second village of Monghulkure country. He was also interned and there has been no news about him.
Nurmuhammed Karim, an imam of a big mosque, was born circa 1981, who is from the third village of Monghulkure County. He disappeared into one of the internment camps, whose whereabouts are unknown.
I plead to the international community and human rights organizations to hold the Chinese regime accountable for its crimes against humanity. In the 21st century, we cannot contact our family members or relatives. When they are detained, we do not even have the right to ask for the reason for their detention, where they are taken to, and the length of their detention.
