New details emerge of uyghur asylum seekers’ torture in China

Beijing: Cambodia deported 20 Uyghur asylum seekers back to China fifteen years ago, where they were imprisoned, tortured, and subjected to severe human rights abuses, according to sources, as quoted by Radio Free Asia.

One woman, who was released later, said that she suffered a miscarriage due to the torture that included electric shocks and being left almost naked in a freezing prison cell.

Additionally, a severely ill man serving a 20-year sentence was forced to perform labour in prison.

The Uyghurs had fled China’s Xinjiang region following violent clashes between Muslim Uyghurs and Han Chinese in Urumqi in July 2009, which led to increased surveillance and mass incarcerations in so-called “re-education” camps from 2017 onward, as reported by Radio Free Asia.

However, under pressure from Beijing, the Cambodian government deported them back to China despite widespread international condemnation. After their return to Xinjiang, the Chinese government held a secret trial in Kashgar on December 24, 2010, sentencing them to prison.

Until recently, little was known about the fate of the deported Uyghurs, but Ayshemgul Omer, a relative of one of the detainees, has shared harrowing details to RFA.

The 20 Uyghurs initially arrived in Cambodia and were granted temporary asylum while awaiting resettlement to a third country. Omer, who relocated to Turkey in 2014, had communicated with the families of the deported Uyghurs in Xinjiang and continued to stay in touch with them after leaving China.

Omer stated that her relative, Memettursun Omer, is serving a 20-year sentence in Daheyan Prison in Turpan Prefecture and, despite being seriously ill, is forced to perform labour. He suffers from Grave’s disease (hyperthyroidism) and experiences symptoms such as bulging eyes, trembling hands, joint pain, and constant hunger. Although prison authorities have provided some assistance, Omer’s family was unable to send him medication due to financial constraints. (ANI)

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