“Like we were enemies in a war”

China’s Mass Internment, Torture and Persecution of Muslims in Xinjiang

“Like we were enemies in a war” China’s Mass Internment, Torture and Persecution of Muslims in Xinjiang

Illustrations by Molly Crabapple

Rukiya Mohammed Amin

Assumed Location

Prison

Suspected Reasons for Arrest or Detention

Contact with family abroad, nature of work of a family member

Official Reason for Arrest or Detention

Unknown

Last Contact

Mid-2015

“If you keep calling, they [Chinese authorities] will keep on threating me” told Rukiya to her mother now living in Sweden. Rukiya was detained in mid-2015 and sentenced to three years in prison. The official charges are unknown but according to her mother, the phone calls she had with her daughter were the reason of her detention along with the fact that her uncle was an imam. It appears that the Chinese authorities have not provided any official documents about her status. Since 2015 her mother has no information about her whereabouts and fears she might still be imprisoned. “I just want to know where my daughter is” said her mother to Amnesty. “This is in my head 24/7. It’s torturing me every second. This is the hard punishment for a mother.”

Personal Details

Rukiya has two children, Abdullah who is nine years old and Maqbullah who is six or seven years old. She loves spending time with them and cooking for them. Maqbullah has some heart problems since he was little and needs hospital treatments. Rukiya’s mother told Amnesty International that she thinks he may be probably dead.

Date of Birth

15 March 1992

Ethnicity

Uyghur

Hometown

Kucha County

Profession

Housewife

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