Justice Abroad Represents Two Uyghur Relatives Arbitrary Detained Because Daughters Live Outside China and for Following Religious Customs
JUSTICE ABROAD
“Here When You Need Us”
Press Statement
Justice Abroad’s Michael Polak has been instructed to advocate for the release of two Uyghur men, who are relatives from the cities of Kashgar and Urumqi, in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), who have been arbitrarily detained, one because his daughter lives in the USA and the other because he fasted during Ramadan.
Elijan Mamut, 46 years old, a businessman and father of four and a law-abiding citizen, was seized by the local police authorities in May 2017 who interrogated him about his daughters. He was afterwards arrested and taken to an internment camp in Nezerbag county, Kashgar.
Sadir Ali, aged 49, an entrepreneur in real estate in Urumqi, was arrested in June 2018 and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment; it is believed because he fasted during the Ramadan holiday, even though fasting was was not prohibited at the time.
The two men are now within the XUAR’s vast network of internment camps and prisons where authorities hold over a million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims, despite them not having committed any crimes, in contravention of international law.
Mr. Ali and Mr. Mamut join a long list of Uyghurs who have been subject to enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention despite not having committed any crimes because they have family members who live abroad or because they follow religious customs.
China’s arbitrary mass internment of Uyghur, Uzbek, Kazakhs, Tajiks and other Turkic Muslim citizens, and the treatment and horrific conditions under which they are being held which amounts to torture, has now been widely reported by the international press[1]. RFA and WBGH Boston have reported on Mr. Ali’s and Mr. Mamut’s situation[2].
Under these instructions, Justice Abroad will be advocating for the release of the two men who have done nothing illegal and calling on United Nation’s bodies to press China to obey their international legal obligations.
Mr. Polak states the following ‘It is heartbreaking for Uyghurs who have escaped the Chinese Government’s intense repression to learn of their family members being arbitrarily detained in terrible conditions with there being no recourse within China. We are calling for the release of these two men who should never have been detained.’
On social media we will be using the hashtags #FreeElijanMamut and #FreeSadirEli. Justice Abroad can be found on Twitter here, Facebook here, and LinkedIn here.
Media requests for interviews with Michael Polak or members of the family can be accommodated in any language requested and should be made by contacting Justice Abroad by email at contact@JusticeAbroad.co.uk or phone on +44 (0)203 488 2316.
Notes to Editors
Justice Abroad, www.justiceabroad.co.uk has been set up to help those trying to find their way through foreign justice systems with all the associated hurdles that presents, to represent those facing gross breaches of their human rights no matter where this takes place, and to advise and assist the victims of crimes as to how to achieve justice.
Justice Abroad, run by International lawyer Michael Polak, has assembled a team of top investigators, lawyers, and support staff to provide unparalleled support, advice and guidance, legal, advocacy, and investigatory service for your Justice Abroad issues anywhere in the world. The Justice Abroad team with their trusted international pool of multilingual experts, their networks, and media contacts and their well-documented determination to leave no stone unturned in the search for the truth and justice for families who have been denied it are here to provide that much needed support for families and individuals in their time of need.
[1] https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Joint-Letter-to-UN-Secretary-General-Antonio-Guterres-regarding-Xinjiang-1.pdf.
[2] https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2019/05/23/local-uyghur-restaurant-owner-speaks-out-i-should-fight-for-my-father;