UN urges China to disclose status of imprisoned Uyghur doctor
Jun 20, 2024
Dublin [Ireland], June 20 : Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, has urged Chinese authorities to disclose information regarding the status and location of Dr Gulshan Abbas, an Uyghur doctor reportedly serving a 20-year prison sentence since 2019 on charges related to terrorism.
Lawlor stated, "Nearly six years after her detention, Dr Abbas' family members still do not have information on where she is being imprisoned, the evidence used to convict her, or most worryingly of all, her health condition."
She emphasised the importance of China complying with its international human rights obligations by providing Dr Abbas's family with necessary information.
Dr Abbas, who reportedly suffers from several health issues, was arrested without her family being informed of the reasons for her detention, details of the charges against her, her trial, or her current place of imprisonment.
Lawlor referred to statements made by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in 2020, which alleged that Dr Abbas had been sentenced for "crimes of participating in a terrorist organisation, aiding terrorist activities and assembling crowds to disrupt social order."
According to Lawlor, Dr Abbas, who was not involved in political or human rights activism, was detained shortly after her sister, Uyghur human rights defender Rushan Abbas, criticised China's treatment of the Uyghur population during a public event in Washington.
Lawlor expressed her dismay over Dr Abbas's continued imprisonment, suggesting it was in retaliation for her sister's advocacy work.
She cited former High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's 2022 report, which highlighted a pattern of "intimidations, threats, and reprisals" against relatives of Uyghurs in exile who spoke out about human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
The call from the UN Special Rapporteur underscores ongoing international concerns about human rights violations against the Uyghur population in China.
