Press Release – For immediate release
13 September 2013
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
0049 (0) 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) condemns the latest death sentences handed down to three Uyghurs for their alleged, but unsubstantiated, involvement in recent incidents that have taken place in East Turkestan. These death sentences now bring the total number of Uyghurs sentenced to death to five, following two being handed down in August 2013. “This confirms that the Chinese authorities have followed through with their vow that further death sentences would happen, thus illustrating that the verdict was reached before the trial had commenced,” asserted WUC President Ms Rebiya Kadeer. The WUC calls on the international community to take stock of this ongoing urgent and mounting human rights crisis that is plighting the Uyghurs in East Turkestan.

According to a news article released by the Chinese government’s mouthpiece, the Global Times, the Turpan Prefectural Intermediate People’s Court handed down death sentences to three Uyghurs and a further 25 years to another Uyghur on charges of leading a terrorist organisation, murder and arson for their alleged involvement in the incident that took place in Lukchun.

On 26 June 2013, 9 police and security guards, along with 8 civilians were killed in clashes with so-called “rioters“, of whom 10 were shot dead by police forces. Three other people were reportedly injured during the clash, and another three arrested. Whilst the Chinese authorities have continued to label the incident as a terrorist attack, reports from the ground by the BBC have suggested otherwise. The names of the three sentenced to death are Ahmatniyaz Sidiq, Urayim Eli and Abdulla Esrapil, whilst Akram Usman received the 25 year sentence.

In August 2013, the Chinese authorities handed down death sentences to two Uyghurs,  Musa Hesen and Rehman Hupur, in hastily-arranged and politically-motivated trials behind closed marred by a lack of due process, the rule of law and without lawyers of their choosing. The WUC called upon the Chinese authorities at the time to disclose the evidence for their alleged crimes, calls of which remain unanswered.

Alarmingly, they had reportedly “confessed to their crimes”, suggesting they may have been tortured, and opted to not pursue an appeal, as they are able to do under Chinese law, which remains improbable in the face of imminent execution. The UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-Moon noted in his recent report submitted for the 24th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council that, “States must […] ensure that the highest level of compliance with fair trial and other international human rights norms and standards are met in all death penalty cases.”

Whilst the WUC resolutely deplores and condemns all violence, all trials pursuing capital punishment must adhere to and maintain the strictest standards outlined by the Secretary-General, which has evidently not been the case with the handing down of these death sentences.

“What more has to happen in East Turkestan before the international community feels that it can stand up, make itself heard and condemn in unison the Chinese authorities’ handling of these recent incidents? The current silence has been deafening,” said Ms Kadeer. The WUC has repeatedly called upon the Chinese authorities to undertake a comprehensive, open investigation into these incidents, and to address the longstanding issues surrounding repression of Uyghur economic, social and cultural rights.

Since the onset of the recent unrest in April 2013, the WUC has documented that potentially 735 Uyghurs have been detained. Indeed, some of these cases could be enforced disappearances. The WUC has also documented that nearly 140 people have died or been extra-judiciallykilled due to the heavy handed and violent crackdown by the Chinese authorities. This is however not a new issue, as Uyghurs frequentlyreport that the Chinese authorities are more interested in quelling dissent as quickly as possible, having no regard for the safety and lives of the protesters and civilians alike.

In view of the current 24th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the WUC calls upon the international community to use this occasion to raise the pressing issue of this urgent human rights crisis in East Turkestan, and to ensure it remains at the top of their agenda at upcoming Second Cycle of China’s Universal Periodic Review.