Ruzi Mamat and and Aysham Kerim were released on December 14th , and allowed to return home after having been imprisoned since May 11th. Rafto Laureate Rebyia Kadeer had to leave behind several family members and a number of employees when she was released and allowed to settle in the United States. She said that her guards threatend her; that if she was to associate with Uyghur exiles her children ‘would be finished’. (28-DEC-2005)
On May 11th, Chinese police raided the offices of Mrs.Kadeers company, and arrested Ruzi Mamat and Aysham Kerim. Mrs Kerim used to be the assistant of Rebyia Kadeer, and is the mother of a seven month old infant. Eye-witnesses said that she was dragged by her hair into a police-car. Two days later, the police raided the company again, this time removing documents. Other witnesses say that a large sum of cash also was ?impounded? by the police.
The two employees are said to be totallly uninterested in politics. They have been held without charge, and when they were released on December 14th, no explanation was given. -Both of them looked like bags of bones, Rebyia Kadeer told Radio Free Asia in an interview.
Kadeer still has five grown children living in the province of Xinjiang.
