IRFBA Chair’s statement on Uyghur religious prisoner of conscience, Dr. Gulshan Abbas

As the Chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, I call for the immediate release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas, who is currently detained in Xinjiang, China.

Dr Gulshan has been detained since September 2018, and in March 2019, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for “taking part in organised terrorism, aiding terrorist activities and seriously disrupting social order”. The Chinese authorities characterize what we would consider regular expressions of Islam as being ‘extremist’ and overt displays of Uyghur culture as being a crime of ‘separatism’.

Dr Gulshan has multiple chronic diseases including recurring migraines, high blood pressure and osteoporosis, and she requires regular medical treatment. She has had no access to her family members for more than two years. There are many reports of prisoners in China with chronic illnesses being denied adequate medical care to address their needs.

Dr Gulshan’s family has been attacked by Chinese state media. Her sister Rushan Abbas is a Uyghur activist in the United States and has campaigned for the release of Uyghurs detained in Xinjiang. The Global Times accused Rushan of being a “separatist” and spreading rumours about the detention of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Dr Gulshan’s family believe that her detention is linked to Rushan’s activism.

Last year, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published a report on Xinjiang which found evidence of large-scale internment camps, credible reports of torture and widespread mistreatment which may constitute “crimes against humanity”. As the High Commissioner for Human Rights Turk noted on 11 September, the concerns highlighted by that report require strong remedial action by the authorities. China has still shown no willingness to engage with the recommendations of that report.

I urge China to bring an end to the human rights abuses against the Uyghur people, to uphold freedom of religion or belief for all people, including members of minority religions or beliefs, and to bring its laws in line with international standards.