“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

Suriye Tursun

苏力也.吐尔逊

Assumed Location

Prison

Suspected Reasons for Arrest or Detention

Travelling to Turkey to visit her son

Official Reason for Arrest or Detention

“Funding terrorist activities”

Last Contact

January 2018

Suriye’s son, who is currently in Turkey, has not been able to contact his mother, Suriye, or his father or brother in Xinjiang since January 2018. He was told by a source in December 2019 that his family members had been sent to an internment camp. His father and brother were released, but his mother Suriye stayed in the camp. In February 2020, a person who claimed to be calling from the Chinese embassy in Turkey called her son and said Suriye had been convicted of “funding terrorist activities” and sentenced to five years in prison. No evidence against Suriye was provided.

Personal Details

Suriye is very friendly and likes cooking and travelling.

Date of Birth

23 March 1964

Ethnicity

Uyghur

Hometown

Shuiding Town, Huocheng County

Profession

Civil Servant

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