Abdurashid Tohti
阿布都热西提 · 托胡提
Assumed Location
Prison, Tumxuk
Suspected Reasons for Arrest or Detention
Family members abroad
Official Reason for Arrest or Detention
“Might think of preparing terrorist activities”
Last Contact
End 2017
Abdurashid was a teacher from Kashgar, then a government official and after retiring he went into business. He went missing along with his wife Tajigul Qadir and his youngest son, Memeteli Abdurashid, in 2017; family friends confirmed their house was empty in 2018. After some social media coverage in June 2020, the Chinese embassy in Ankara called a family member living in Turkey and said that on 13 December 2017 Abdurashid was sentenced to 16 years and 11 months in prison for “having potentially thought of promoting terrorist activities”. The person interviewed by Amnesty International and based in the USA believes the reasons behind this sentence are different and are related to the fact that Abdurashid’s two daughters were living in Turkey at that time. It is not clear whether there was a trial, but a document dated 1 February 2019 about a transfer to the Third Division Tumshuq Prison was shared with the family.
Personal Details
He loves reading and his dream was to open a bookshop. He also loves his grandchildren and wanted to live with them. Unfortunately, it is believed that his other son, Ametjan Abdurashid, is also in prison with a seven-year sentence.
Date of Birth
1964
Ethnicity
Uyghur
Hometown
Kashgar
Profession
Former teacher, former governement worker, businessman
Read More