Mewlan is imprisoned by Chinese government not for a crime, but for who he is as – an Uyghur Muslim

I, Rizwangul NurMuhammad, am the elder sister of Mewlan NurMuhammad. I’m testifying that my brother, Mewlan, was arbitrarily detained and imprisoned by the Chinese government.

Mewlan NurMuhammad, officially recorded as Nuermaimaiti Maiwulani in Mandarin, is an Uyghur, male, born on June 5th, 1986.He is 31 years old. At the time when he was arbitrarily detained by Chinese authorities in January 2017, he was mentally and physically healthy, married with one son, and employed full-time as an Internet Technician at China Telecom, Bole City branch.

On September 2, 2019, the Chinese government responded to a Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) inquiry about Mewlan by stating that: “Nuermaimaiti Maiwulani, male, unemployed, ID no. 652701198606050816, registered permanent residence in Bole City Bozhou, Xinjiang. On 8 August, 2017, he was sentenced to 9 years’ imprisonment and 4 years of deprivation of political rights for splitting the State”.

In November 2019, I also managed to obtain further details about Mewlan. He was held in First Supervision District, Beiye Prison, the 8th Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Beiye Town, Shihezi Ken District, Shihezi City, Xinjiang, China. In Chinese: 新疆维吾尔自治区石河子市石河子垦区北野镇新疆生产建设兵团农八师北野监狱一监区. Mewlan’s prisoner number is: 9282011831.

Aside from the details mentioned above, no official justification for the arrest and imprisonment has been provided, nor has there been a trial. Mewlan’s detention remains unjustified and unlawful.

Mewlan is an easy-going, down-to-earth, and kind person. He is a family-oriented young father who works tirelessly to provide for and care for his family. His full-time job at China Telecom as a Network Technician with a specialty on fibre internet necessitates a good relationship with customers from a variety of cultures, including Chinese, Uyghur, Kazakh, Huizu, and Mongol. He speaks Mandarin fluently. He fulfilled his responsibilities at his full-time job.. He also registered a small business in late 2016 and began operating it in January 2017, only a few days before he was arbitrarily detained without any explanation. His company’s information is available on the official website: https://www.qixin.com/company/b47b1284-634e-4df9-8f75-083e0d874151 , recorded 统一社会信用代码：91652701MA777BXB4E. The successful registration of the small business in his name proves that he passed the requisite Xinjiang police check. He would be unable to obtain such registration if he was convicted of any crime.

Mewlan travelled to Turkey between 2012 and 2014 for educational purposes. According to reports, one of the reasons Uyghurs are being detained is because they have visited one of the countries on the official list of “26 sensitive countries”, one of which is Turkey. In its report, “China’s Repression of Xinjiang’s Muslims,” Human Rights Watch stated that “people who have been to these countries, have families there, or otherwise communicate with people there have been interrogated, detained, and even tried and imprisoned.” In June 2014, Mewlan returned from Turkey to Bole City, Xinjiang. He then started working full-time, married and had a son.

Further, on September 27, 2017, Radio Free Asia reported that at least six Uyghurs who had come to Turkey for educational purposes had been imprisoned, and my brother Mewlan was mentioned as one of them. It has also been confirmed through word of mouth that my brother Mewlan is one of the six Uyghurs detained around the same time. According to a source, an official investigation into his actions in Turkey revealed that he was never involved in “abnormal activities” and that his main goal was to study. RFA report link:

I testify that my brother Mewlan is innocent; he did not commit a crime nor was he involved in any violence that can justify his detention. Mewlan is one of the victims of the Chinese government’s genocide against Uyghurs, according to mounting evidence. Because of his identity, he was imprisoned. He is a Uyghur and a Muslim following the Islamic faith. The Chinese government has imprisoned him for his ethnic and religious identity.

Signature: Rizwangul NurMuhammad

Date: 3rd July 2022