IPAC Letter Calling for Saudi Arabia to Block Forcible Return of Uyghurs to China

March 21, 2022
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HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Riyadh

01 April 2022

Dear Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud,

We, Co-Chairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), write to you to express our concern about the ongoing cases of Nurmemet Rozi and Hemdullah Abduweli.

Abduweli and Rozi, two men of Uyghur Muslim ethnicity originally from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, were both arrested on November 20, 2020 by the Saudi local police, while they were in Saudi Arabia for religious reasons. The arrest was allegedly carried out after the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia had requested their extradition. We understand that Abduweli and Rozi are currently detained in Saudi Arabia and are at imminent risk of being forcibly returned to China. Additionally, it has come to our attention that acts of reprisal have been taken against family members of the two men.

The government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is carrying out a global campaign of threats and intimidation against Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Chinese dissidents and other activists abroad. Those extradited or deported to the PRC will not face a fair trial and are at severe risk of persecution, arbitrary detention and torture.

We urge you to oppose the forcible return of Abduweli, Rozi and their relatives, and to ensure that those targeted by the PRC government are protected from any threats, intimidation and harassment at the hands of the PRC government in your jurisdiction.

As legislators from democratic countries across the world, we have taken great interest in this case and stand ready to advocate on their behalf.

Yours sincerely,

Lucy Akello, Member of the Ugandan Parliament

Reinhard Bütikofer, Member of the European Parliament

Michael Brand, Member of the German Bundestag

Malcolm Byrne, Member of the Irish Seanad

Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Member of the UK House of Commons

Uffe Elbæk, Member of the Danish Folketing

Ninong Ering, Member of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, India

Pavel Fischer, Member of the Czech Senate

André Gattolin⁩, Member of the French Senate

Garnett Genuis, Member of the Canadian House of Commons

Baroness (Helena) Kennedy, Member of the UK House of Lords

Elisabet Lann, Deputy Mayor of Gothenburg, Sweden

Tom van der Lee, Member of the Dutch House of Representatives

Miriam Lexmann, Member of the European Parliament

Fabian Molina, Member of the National Council of Switzerland

Simon O’Connor, Member of the New Zealand Parliament

Žygimantas Pavilionis, Member of the Lithuanian Seimas

Dovilė Šakalienė, Member of the Lithuanian Seimas

Cătălin Teniță, Member of the Assembly Deputies of Romania

Barry Ward, Member of the Irish Seanad

CO-CHAIRS  OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ALLIANCE ON CHINA (IPAC)

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