Gender: Female
Current Location: Chongqing Women’s Prison
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Han
Religion or Belief: Christian – Church of Almighty God
Reports of Torture: Yes
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 7 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: February/11/2014
Date of Sentencing: September/16/2014
Current Status: Unknown
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Distributing Religious Materials Religious Activity Religious Belief
Nature of Charges: Cult
Li Anqun
Extra Bio Info:
Li Anqun was imprisoned for her religious belief and activity.
On February 11, 2014, police arrested Li reportedly in relation to her religious beliefs. She had reportedly been previously arrested on January 8, 2013, and later released on bail for arranging church members to print and distribute religious materials. She was reportedly tortured during her initial detention.
On September 16, 2014, the Shapingba District People’s Court sentenced Li to seven years in prison for "organizing or using a cult to undermine implementation of the law" (Art. 300 CCL).
Li was taken to Chongqing Women’s Prison to serve her sentence.
Li's sentence should have ended in February 2021.
Publicly Available Information:
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"CHINA: The Church of Almighty God: Prisoners Database (1663 cases)" Human Rights Without Frontiers
Additional Name(s): Gulshen Abbas, گۈلشەن ئابباس, 古丽先·阿巴斯
Gender: Female
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Uyghur
Religion or Belief: Unspecified
Health Concerns: High blood pressure, migraines, back problems, osteoporosis
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 20 Years' Imprisonment
Date of Detainment: September/11/2018
Date of Sentencing: March//2019
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Ethnoreligious Identity
Nature of Charges: Illegal Assembly Terrorism
Gulshan Abbas
Extra Bio Info:
Gulshan Abbas is imprisoned in relation to her ethnoreligious identity.
On September 11, 2018, authorities in Urumqi municipality, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) forcibly disappeared Dr. Abbas, a retired medical doctor. Her detention may have been made in retaliation for her sister, Rushan's public criticism of the treatment of Uyghurs by the Chinese government at an event at a U.S. think-tank less than one week earlier.
In March 2019, Abbas was reportedly sentenced to 20 years in prison. In December 2020, it was learned that Abbas had been convicted of "participating in a terrorist organization," "aiding terrorist activities," and "gathering a crowd to disrupt social order."
Abbas reportedly suffers from high blood pressure, severe back pain that often leads to immobilization, osteoporosis, and recurring migraines migraines.
Rep. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) advocates for Abbas as part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project.
Publicly Available Information:
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Photo attributed to Xinjiang Victims Database
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"Gulshan Abbas" Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
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"Gulshan Abbas" Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)
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"Gulshen Abbas" Xinjiang Victims Database
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"Overseas Uyghurs struggle to locate relatives in Xinjiang prisons" Reuters
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"Lengthy Imprisonment for Retired Uyghur Doctor" Amnesty International
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USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel, Tweet, December 31, 2020
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USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel, Tweet, June 2, 2020
Mar 16, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2020
USCIRF Releases New Factsheet on the Impact of Coronavirus on Religious Freedom
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new factsheet on the global response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the impact on religious practice and religious freedom.
Coronavirus Factsheet - This factsheet documents how the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has affected religious freedom around the world. First, it examines the extent to which international law allows governments to impose restrictions on religious freedom in order to protect public health. Next, it provides examples how government and societal responses to the pandemic - including in China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy - have impacted the practice of religion. The factsheet urges governments to strategize a public health response to the pandemic that avoids measures placing an undue burden on or stigmatizing religious groups.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or call (202) 523-3240.