Gheyret Abdurahman
Uyghur scholar Abdurahman was detained in March 2018 for over a year after translating Nobel laureate Mo Yan’s book Red Sorghum because it was deemed “politically sensitive.” Abdurahman’s arrest… More
Perhat Tursun
Tursun is a renowned Uyghur writer of poetry, prose, and novels. He was denounced as anti-Islamic in the late 1990s for his work's themes of suicide, sexuality, and mental… More
Hailaite Niyazi Hairat, or Gheyret Niyaz
A former reporter and columnist, Niyazi also managed the Uyghurbiz website and had publicly criticized government policies toward Uyghurs. After a one-day sham trial in 2010, he was convicted… More
Abdukerim Rahman
Rahman is a renowned academic specializing in Uyghur folklore who has authored over 20 books, including History of Uyghur Culture and Uyghur Folk Literature. Reports indicate that Rahman was… More
Yalqun Rozi
Rozi is a Uyghur writer, literary critic, and historical researcher. Rozi was detained in October 2016 and formally arrested two months later for inciting separatism. Convicted in January 2018… More
Tashpolat Tiyip
Tashpolat Tiyip is an academic of Uyghur origin and the former president of Xinjiang University. Authorities stopped Tiyip in 2017 at Beijing airport. It is rumored that Tiyip was… More
Tohti Tunyaz Muzart
A Uyghur historian based in Japan, Tunyaz was arrested in 1998 after analyzing primary sources in Xinjiang for his book The Inside Story of the Silk Road. Imprisoned for… More
Abdulqadir Jalaleddin
Abduqadir Jalaleddin is a renowned poet, translator, scholar of contemporary Uyghur literature, and professor at Xinjiang Normal University. He was arrested from his home in early 2018. Authorities provided… More
Qurban Mamut
Mamut, who had worked with Uyghur-run cultural publications for over four decades, disappeared in 2017 after visiting his exiled son in the United States. Authorities told Mamut’s son that… More
Shoret Nijat
Nijat, a student of Ilham Tohti, was arrested for his involvement with Tohti’s website Uyghurbiz, which promotes mutual ethnic understanding between Uyghurs and Han Chinese. He was sentenced in… More