Press Release – For immediate release
08 August 2022
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
0049 (0) 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) President, Dolkun Isa publishes his memoir The China Freedom Trap: the Story of a Uyghur Fighting Chinese Hegemony with an INTERPOL Red Notice, telling the story of his life pursuing justice and freedom for the people of East Turkistan, and the many challenges he went through.

In the book, Isa details his experiences as a Uyghur political figure and human rights activist working to defend and promote the fundamental rights of the Uyghurs and other Turkic people of East Turkistan. It is a reminder of China’s transnational repression of exiled communities and growing influence over international institutions, such as the United Nations and INTERPOL. The book further describes Isa co-founding the WUC and the multiple ways China has attempted to disrupt and discredit him and Uyghur activism in general. The most evident example was perhaps the 21-year long INTERPOL Red Notice that shadowed him and almost cost him his life as he narrowly escaped extradition to China on multiple occasions.

Isa’s INTERPOL Red Notice was first issued in 1997 on the insistence of the Chinese government, only being informed himself two years later in 1999 by the German police. Although a serious charge, German authorities concluded that Isa never presented a threat, and acknowledged the absence of any credible evidence that would qualify him as a danger to national or international security. Nevertheless, the notice remained an important obstacle for Isa, inhibiting international travel and hindering activism. His Red Notice was deleted in 2018, through the persistent work of Fair Trials. 

The memoir thus highlights how Isa uncovers corruption and the entrenched politicisation of international institutions that are often seen as legitimate, impartial arbiters of justice. From his INTERPOL Red Notice, deportations from different countries, and expulsion from the United Nations, Isa witnesses behind-the-scenes diplomatic battles between China, the Uyghurs, and other involved countries and institutions. 

Through the pages of this incredibly important account, readers also learn about the many personal sacrifices Isa was forced to make, and the different risks associated with every path he took. This should not only serve as a reminder to readers of China’s growing power and the threats associated with it, but also as a warning to policymakers, other activists and international institutions. It is a story of genuine allies standing up for human rights and freedom, but also of fighting against the perverse influence of authoritarian countries in democratic institutions.

The book is now available on Amazon. 
You can also directly buy it from the publishing house: 

HAR-ANAND PUBLICATIONS PVT LTD  
E-49/3, OKHLA INDUSTRIAL AREA, PHASE-II
NEW DELHI-110020 [INDIA]                                                                                    
CONTACT: 011- 41603490/ 41603491
E-MAIL: [email protected]