Abdurehim Heyt

Abdurehim Heyit ( Uyghur: ئابدۇرېھىم ھېيىت; born 1962) is a Uyghur folk singer‌ and compositor. The Uyghur people are a Turkic language-speaking group and a spokesman for the Turkish foreign ministry described Abdurehim as a "distinguished poet"."China's treatment of Uighurs is 'embarrassment for humanity', says Turkey", ''The Guardian'', 10 February 2019
Retrieved 10 February 2019

In February 2019, Turkish government sources reported that he had died in custody in China, but this claim was contradicted by Chinese sources. This incident led to a short term crisis in the Chinese-Turkish relations. In July 2019 Chinese government confirmed he was under arrest but "in good health", and shortly afterward he was interviewed by Turkish journalists at his home, but has made no public appearance since. As of July 2021, his status remains unknown.

Biography

Abdurehim was renowned for his performances on the '' dutar'', a two-stringed traditional instrument. He studied music in Beijing and performed with national arts troupes in China. In March 2017, he was arrested and imprisoned, reportedly after performing a song, "Fathers", based on a traditional Uyghur poem calling on younger generations to respect the sacrifices of their forefathers and containing a reference to the "martyrs of war". He was reportedly serving an eight-year sentence."Turkey demands China close camps after reports of musician's death", ''BBC News'', 10 February 2019
Retrieved 10 February 2019

Reported death

It was reported, initially by Turkish media, that he died in custody in Ürümqi on 9 February 2019, after being tortured. He was reportedly being held in a detention camp on an eight-year sentence. His death was not officially confirmed, but the reports led to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs objecting to the treatment of ethnic Uyghurs in the Xinjiang province of China, describing them as "great shame for humanity" and noting the "systematic assimilation policy of Chinese authorities against the Uighur Turks is a great embarrassment for humanity". This incident led to a short term crisis in the Chinese-Turkish relations, and China has responded that Turkey's comments are "completely unacceptable". With the exception of Turkey's statement, there has been little public condemnation from Muslim majority countries; analysts believe their complacency may be due to a fear of economic and political consequences.

On 10 February, Chinese state media released a video claiming to show Abdurehim on that day, with the man shown stating that he was in "good health" and that he was "in the process of being investigated for allegedly violating national laws". The US-based NED-funded Uyghur Human Rights Project questioned the authenticity of the video, which has been labelled as "unverified" by international press. Magnus Fiskesjo, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies at Cornell University, stated that the recording appeared to be scripted and showed similar signs to confessions in which the subjects had been threatened or tortured.

On 2 July 2019 Chinese authorities issued a statement that Heyit has been "arrested on suspicion of endangering national security" but "is in good health".

Release and second disappearance

On July 25, 2019, Turkish newspaper Aydınlık interviewed him in his house in Ürümqi where he was reported to be under house arrest.

However, since October 2019, his whereabouts and status once again are described as unknown, and it has been suggested that he has been a victim of forced disappearance.

See also

*List of people who disappeared

References

External links

Official statement by Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 10 February 2019

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heyit, Abdurehim
1963 births
2010s missing person cases
Chinese prisoners and detainees
Enforced disappearances in China
Missing people
Missing person cases in China
Uyghur human rights activists
Uyghur music
Uyghur poets