A press conference in Istanbul called for the immediate release of the Uyghurs in the Chinese camp

A group of Uyghurs living in Turkey applied to the UN Human Rights Committee through lawyers for the release of their relatives imprisoned in Chinese prison camps. In this regard, a press conference was held in Istanbul on March 12.

The meeting was attended by close relatives of Uyghurs imprisoned in China's concentration camps and human rights defenders, lawyers Gülden Sunmaz and Faruk Kedemur.

Gulden Sunmazkhanim, a lawyer who participated in the meeting, said: "Very important information, documents, reports and evidence have been included in our application on behalf of Uyghurs living in Turkey for the release of their relatives in the camps. As a result of the decisions, for the first time the Chinese government has been forced to answer for missing persons. The profiles of a number of victims, including Turkish citizens, were included in our petitions and in the UN Human Rights Committee's decision. Resolution No. 2023/77 by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the Working Group on Arbitrary Abductions (WGAD) regarding Halmamet Ilyas, Abdurrahman Butanjan, Mawluda Hilal, Parida Yasmin, etc. A verdict was issued that he violated the law.

Mirzaakhmet Ilyas, a Uyghur activist who said that her brother Khalmamet Ilyas and Hadee's husband, Abdurrahman Budjan, were held in the concentration camps, said that both were kidnapped and imprisoned in the camp in March 2017, and they have not been heard from until now.

He said: "As East Turkistan people, we have raised our voices in front of the Chinese Consulate in Istanbul and fought for the execution of justice, and we will continue to do so." I would like to say to China from here that the Chinese government can never make us submit by abducting our brothers like this. We will never give up. We have submitted this lawsuit not only to the public, but to the United Nations, and we will see the results."

Speaking at the meeting, Madina Nazimi asked for the release of her sister Mawluda Hilal, who was imprisoned in a Chinese reclamation camp. ".

Speaking at the meeting, Ms. Gulayisha said that her three brothers were imprisoned in a concentration camp. "The Chinese government did not respond despite the evidence of the UN's innocence and the decision to release my brother Kurshat Oralbai. "My 3 brothers have been unjustly detained in China's concentration camp for 6 years."

Speaking at the meeting, Nur Muhammed said that the Chinese government has not released him despite the UN Human Rights Commission deciding that his family was unjustly abducted in 2023. "Now my 70-year-old mother is being detained in the camp. The United Nations decided in June 2023 that they were unjustly abducted and should be released immediately. Despite repeated letters to China, China has not responded."

To find out more, we interviewed Uyghur activist Mirzaakhmet Ilyas, who spoke at the press conference.

Mirza Akhmet Ilyas said that last year, they filed a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Commission through a lawyer, asking for the release of their relatives imprisoned in China's camps. On February 16 of this year, the United Nations decided to immediately release the abducted Uyghurs, and wrote a letter asking the abductees to provide evidence of their crimes, or to release them immediately. However, the Chinese side did not make a clear statement and simply replied that "they are serving their punishment".

Mirza Akhmet Ilyas said that in the application submitted to the UN, the files of 7 Uyghurs were included separately, and there is full evidence that they were detained unjustly. After the UN Human Rights Commission reviewed it, it decided that they should be released.

The resolution also requires the Chinese government to compensate the unjustly abducted Uyghurs, punish the Chinese officials who did not abduct them, and report to the UN after the implementation of the resolution.