CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2023, 6:00 PM ET
Sabrina Sohail: sabrina@campaignforuyghurs.org
(650) 703-4523
Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) solemnly commemorates the 7th anniversary of Uyghur scholar Yalqun Rozi‘s unjust imprisonment by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In October 2016, Yalqun Rozi, a prominent Uyghur intellectual, was apprehended by Chinese authorities, enduring separation from his family and the denial of basic human rights.
Renowned as a Uyghur literary critic, writer, public speaker, and publisher, Rozi was sentenced to 15 years in prison on January 3, 2018 on false and baseless charges of “subverting state power.” His commitment to peacefully promote Uyghur culture made him a target of the Chinese government’s oppressive policies. This plight epitomizes the broader systematic campaign to erase Uyghur culture through targeting Uyghur intellectuals who suffer arbitrary detention, forced labor, and other abuses.
As a leading researcher on the Uyghur identity and an editor at Xinjiang Education Press, Rozi peacefully enriched the understanding of Uyghur history and culture. Rozi published approximately 20 books encompassing Uyghur education, religion, history, culture, championing the rich intellectual heritage of the Uyghur people. He was the chief editor of more than 90 textbooks and extra-curricular books about Uyghur literature education.
His daughter, Tumaris Yalqun, said “It has been exactly 7 years since my father, Yalqun Rozi, was unlawfully arrested by the Chinese authorities. The Chinese government has been ruthlessly targeting intellectuals and thought leaders in order to erase our culture and history. Millions of Uyghurs are living in agony simply because of their race, faith, and identity. I truly hope and pray that all this misery ends soon so we can reunite with our family, hold their hands, and feel their warmth and smiles again. In the meantime, we must act together, speak louder, and never stop. I once again demand the Chinese government to release my father, Yalqun Rozi, immediately!”
Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of CFU, stated, “This seven year mark should be a wakeup call and stark reminder of the urgent need for the international community to hold the CCP accountable for its unjust imprisonment and genocide of the Uyghur people. Yalqun Rozi’s story is emblematic of the Chinese government’s relentless assault on Uyghur culture and the Uyghur people through disappearing the minds and voices of our intellectual community. “
CFU renews its unwavering commitment to advocate for justice, accountability, and the immediate release of Yalqun Rozi and all arbitrarily detained Uyghurs. CFU calls upon the global community to remember Yalqun Rozi’s predicament and the countless other unjustly detained Uyghurs in East Turkistan. We urge governments, human rights organizations, and individuals to unite in condemning the CCP’s egregious human rights violations against the Uyghur people.
Visit change.org to join over 10,000 people in petitioning for Yalqun Rozi’s release.
