“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

Ersinbek Tursinbekuli

叶尔森 · 图尔森别克

Assumed Location

Shihu Prison

Suspected Reasons for Arrest or Detention

Studying the Quran and praying

Official Reason for Arrest or Detention

Unknown

Last Contact

January 2018

35-year-old farmer Ersinbek is currently serving an 18-year sentence in Shihu Prison. According to his relatives, he was taken away in January 2018 simply because he prayed regularly and studied in a madrasa, a kind of college for studying Islam, in Almaty where he had been learning the Qur’an for about six months back in 2011. Based on the information available to his relatives, Ersin had been kept in an internment camp in Dörbiljin (Emin) County, Tacheng Prefecture for approximately a month before he was transferred to prison.

Personal Details

Ersin was healthy before he was detained. Everybody liked him. He was fond of researching various topics and studying the Qur’an. Ersin is very hardworking. He respects his parents very much and used to keep close contact with his relatives.

Date of Birth

27 November 1986

Ethnicity

Kazakh

Hometown

Dorbiljin (Emin)

Profession

Farmer

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