CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2024, 5:00 PM
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
+1 650-703-4523
www.campaignforuyghurs.org
Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) calls for the immediate release of prominent Uyghur intellectual Yalqun Rozi as we mark the eighth anniversary of his unjust imprisonment. On October 8, 2016, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) arrested Mr. Rozi, and in January 2018, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison on fabricated charges of “subverting state power.” This day marked the beginning of a nightmare for him and his family.
A key component of the genocide of the Uyghur people in East Turkistan is the persecution of Uyghur intellectuals who contributed to the preservation of the Uyghur culture and identity. Mr. Yalqun Rozi is a renowned literary critic, writer, and publisher whose significant contributions to Uyghur literature have earned him respect among the community members. As an editor at the Xinjiang Education Press from 2001 to 2011, Mr. Rozi contributed to the creation of more than 90 textbooks and extracurriculars for primary and secondary schools, enriching their understanding of Uyghur identity, history, and culture.
Rushan Abbas, Executive Director for CFU, stated, “The CCP targeted Yalqun Rozi because of his dedication to fostering a deeper understanding of Uyghur culture and history within the community. His unjust detention highlights the CCP’s attempts to erase the Uyghur identity and rewrite our history. While the CCP may claim that Uyghurs are living a ‘happy’ life, cases like Yalqun Rozi’s serve as stark testimonies to its ongoing genocide in East Turkistan.”
CFU renews its call for the immediate release of Yalqun Rozi and all arbitrarily detained Uyghurs. We urge governments, human rights organizations, and individuals to unite in holding the CCP accountable for its grave human rights abuses against the Uyghur people.
Please visit change.org to join over 10,000 people in demanding that the Chinese government release Yalqun Rozi.
