CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24th, 2026
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
https://campaignforuyghurs.org/
Yalqun Rozi Awarded the 2026 Graciela Fernández Meijide Award
Washington, DC – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) welcomes the recognition of imprisoned Uyghur scholar Yalqun Rozi with the 2026 Graciela Fernández Meijide Award, presented by the Centro para la Apertura y el Desarrollo de América Latina (CADAL) on August 23 during an award ceremony in Argentina commemorating the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Totalitarianism. The award honors individuals and organizations working to defend human rights in authoritarian states where civil and political liberties are restricted, often in the face of significant personal risk. Uyghur Academy President Dr. Rishat Abbas, CFU Executive Director Rushan Abbas, Center for Uyghur Studies Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris, World Uyghur Congress President Turgunjan Alawdun, and Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights President and former World Uyghur Congress President Dolkun Isa attended the awards ceremony and received the award on behalf of Mr. Rozi’s family, and Dr. Rishat Abbas gave an acceptance speech.
Yalqun Rozi is a prominent Uyghur intellectual and the father of CFU General Secretary Kamaltürk Yalkun. He is a renowned literary critic, writer, and publisher who contributed significantly to Uyghur literature, compiling Uyghur literature textbooks for elementary, middle schools, and high schools. From 2001 to 2011, Mr. Rozi played a key role in developing more than 90 textbooks and extracurricular educational materials, helping generations of children deepen their understanding of Uyghur identity, history, and culture. Mr. Rozi was one of the victims of the ongoing Uyghur genocide, arrested in October 2016 and sentenced to 15 years in prison for his contributions to Uyghur literature. His ongoing unjust imprisonment is representative of the CCP’s attempts at the destruction of Uyghur identity, language, and culture.
“It is deeply meaningful to see Yalqun Rozi’s profound contributions to Uyghur society recognized with this award. We are grateful to CADAL for honoring his work and helping bring greater attention to the Uyghur people’s struggle. Mr. Rozi’s ongoing imprisonment and the unjust imprisonment of my sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, are a stark reminder of the CCP’s ongoing genocide and transnational repression, and an attack on Uyghur identity that demands international attention and action,” said Dr. Rishat Abbas.
CFU welcomes this recognition as an important acknowledgement of the contributions of Uyghur intellectuals and the profound repression they are facing. While Yalqun Rozi remains unjustly imprisoned, this award brings renewed international attention to his work and the prosecution of the Uyghur people. CFU will continue to advocate for the release of Mr. Yalqun Rozi, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and all unjustly detained people by the CCP. We urge the international community to take concrete actions to hold the Communist Party accountable for its crimes.