A press release from the Uyghur Human Rights Project states that the organisation has learned that Alim Abdureyim, one of Rebiya Kadeer’s sons arrested by Chinese police, has been tortured in detention. UHRP is not aware of the extent or nature of any injuries Mr Abdureyim may have sustained, but the organization is extremely concerned that he may be in need of urgent medical attention, and is at risk of further abuse. (26-JUNE-06)
 

This story is based on a press-release from the Uyhgur Human Rights project and parts of on article by Radio Free asia.

Mr Abdureyim is currently being held in Tianshan District police station in Urumchi, the regional capital of East Turkistan (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region). Both of his brothers, who were also arrested at the same time as Alim, are also being held at the same station.

“It’s not a surprise that the Chinese police are torturing Mr Abdureyim – anyone who knows anything about the Chinese police won’t be surprised by this news,” said Alim Seytoff, Director of UHRP. “But it’s still deeply distressing news for Ms Kadeer and the rest of us, and we demand Mr Abdureyim be released and given immediate access to medical attention.”

UHRP has also learned that Chinese police throughout East Turkistan have been detaining and interrogating large numbers of people who have had contact with Ms Kadeer’s children over the years, apparently to try and gather evidence to be used against them. A reliable source claimed that he himself was detained by police as he stepped from a train in Urumchi, and was interrogated for around two hours.
 
Alim and Ablikim Abdureyim were detained by police in late May along with their sister Rushangul, apparently to stop them meeting with a US congressional delegation visiting Urumchi at the time. On June 1, both brothers were beaten by police in front of their children and in front of Rushangul, who was given a cell phone and told to call Ms Kadeer in the United States and tell her what was happening. Ablikim was beaten unconscious and was hospitalized; Rushangul was later also taken to hospital to be treated for symptoms related to stress and shock.
 
Alim and Ablikim were formally arrested on June 13 along with their elder brother Kahar, who was driven 200 miles from his home in Aksu south east of Urumchi in manacles and chained to the floor of a minibus. Rushangul has been placed under a form of house arrest, with seven police officers stationed in her home. Ms Kadeer’s brother, Mamat, is also under house arrest.

Alim Abdureyim, who was in charge of the family business, has been formally charged with tax evasion, as has Kahar. Although Kahar withdrew from the family business several years ago because of the almost constant harassment from the Chinese authorities, he had established his own successful business in Aksu. Tax evasion carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years under Chinese law, and also carries system of fines.

Rebiya Kadeer has said the arrest of her three adult sons by authorities in the People´s Republic of China amounts to retaliation by officials angered by her criticism of Chinese rule in the region. “The Chinese government is acting shamelessly. They know my children are innocent, and they also know that people around the world won´t believe the accusations against my children,” she said. “My children never committed tax fraud. They have never been involved in politics, they owe nothing to anyone, and they are well-mannered in their business and trade with other people.”

She said any attempts to silence her through her family back in the People´s Republic of China would fail.
“Since the Chinese authorities arrested me on Aug. 11, 1999, a new Rebiya Kadeer has been born. The new Rebiya Kadeer is a part of the world. The new Rebiya Kadeer is voice of the 20 million Uyghur people. Rebiya Kadeer is the voice of political prisoners, and of innocent people who died without a voice in prison. She is the voice of innocent children sold to human-traffickers and drug-traffickers,. The new-born Rebiya Kadeer does not belong just to herself and to her family,” Kadeer said.