UN Criticizes China Over Uyghur Doctor’s Imprisonment

A panel of UN Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights wrote a letter to the Chinese authorities expressing serious concerns at the conviction and imprisonment of Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas without due process and not even informing her family on her whereabouts.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Abbas is believed to be serving a 20-year sentence since 2019 on terrorism-related charges.

The authors of the letter included the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defender, Mary Lawlor; the Special Rapporteur on the right to Health, Tlaleng Mofokeng; and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Margaret Satterthwaite.

“We express serious concern at the conviction and imprisonment of Gulshan Abbas without due process. We are further concerned by the alleged failure of the Chinese authorities to provide any information to Abbas’ family regarding her legal situation, and her whereabouts, thereby denying them the opportunity to request to visit her or her health condition,” the UN panel of special rapporteurs stated.

“We are concerned that these measures may have been taken in retaliation for the human rights advocacy carried out by her sister, Rushan Abbas, on behalf of the Uyghur people,” it added.

The rapporteurs further said that states must take necessary measures to protect the lives of individuals deprived of their liberty, adding that inadequate conditions of detention can be a factor contributing to serious harm in detention, including injury and even death.

“We reiterate our concern at the alleged denial of due process of Gulshan Abbas, including in connection to her access to legal counsel and the alleged breach of her right not to be arbitrarily detained or deprived of liberty,” it stated.

Previously, at its 95th session, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion determining that Dr Gulshan Abbas’ deprivation of liberty was arbitrary. They also expressed concerns about the “total secrecy that appears to surround the fate and whereabouts” of Abbas.

Furthermore, former High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet in her assessment of human rights concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), said the “widespread arbitrary deprivation of liberty” of Uyghurs has led to many families being separated and unaware of the whereabouts of their loved ones.

“The widespread arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim communities in XUAR, often shrouded in secrecy, has led to many families being separated and unaware of the whereabouts of their loved ones. This has been particularly so for the diaspora community where there have additionally been allegations of reprisals and intimidations against those seeking information about their family members or expressing concern publicly,” it added.

On September 5, 2018, Rushan Abbas, US-based Uyghur human rights defender and sister of Gulshan Abbas, spoke at a public event at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC, USA, in which she criticised alleged human rights violations against the Uyghur population in China.

Six days after her speech, on September 11, 2018, the family of Gulshan Abbas reported that they were no longer able to make contact with her.