Additional Name(s): ئابدۇللېتىپ ئابدۇراخمان
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Uyghur
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 5 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment
Current Status: Unknown
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Ethnoreligious Identity Travel Abroad
Nature of Charges: Unknown
Abdulletip Abdurahman
Extra Bio Info:
Abdulletip Abdurahman was imprisoned for travel-related reasons and his ethnoreligious identity.
In 2017, public security officials in Qaraqash (Moyu) county, Hotan (Hetian) prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), arrested Abdurahman after reportedly sending one of his sons to study in Egypt. Abdurahman's detention came amid mass detentions of largely Muslim ethnic minorities in XUAR.
On an unspecified date, Abdurahman was sentenced to five years and six months in prison on unspecified charges.
Abdurahman's sentence should have ended.
Publicly Available Information:
- "Abdulletip Abdurahman" Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)
Additional Name(s): ئەركىن تۇرسۇن
Gender: Male
Current Location: Xinjiang
Perpetrator: China
Ethnic Group: Uyghur
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Sentence: 5 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment
Reason for Persecution: Ethnoreligious Identity Religious Activity
Nature of Charges: Unknown
Erkin Tursun
Extra Bio Info:
Erkin Tursun is imprisoned for his religious activity and religious and ethnic identity.
In 2017, public security officials in Qaraqash (Moyu) County, Hotan (Hetian) Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), detained Tursan, the operator of a religious school, reportedly in relation to his religious activity. Tursun's detention came amid mass detentions of largely Muslim ethnic minorities in XUAR in 2017.
On an unspecified date, Tursan was sentenced to five years and six months in prison on unknown charges.
Publicly Available Information:
- "Erkin Tursun" Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)
Jan 25, 2021
USCIRF Troubled by Escalating Persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Algeria
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is troubled by reports of escalating repression targeting the Ahmadiyya community in Algeria in recent weeks.
“New convictions and harsh sentences against Ahmadi Muslims in Algeria demonstrate systematic and ongoing persecution on religious grounds,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava. “The U.S. government should urge the Algerian government to act swiftly to reverse this disturbing trend.”
Over the past several weeks, Algerian courts have tried dozens of members of the Ahmadiyya community for crimes related to the expression of their faith. Charges have included offending the Prophet Mohammad, degrading Islamic principles, and conducting activities without registration even though the government has not granted the Ahmadiyya community official status. Judges in these cases have questioned Ahmadi Muslims about their beliefs, and several Ahmadi Muslims have publicly recanted their faith as a result of the charges. Sentences have included heavy fines and prison sentences of up to three years.
“These unwarranted arrests and detentions are the latest in a long history of Ahmadi persecution in Algeria,” said USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore. “The U.S. government should demonstrate its strong support for the Ahmadi community in Algeria by denouncing these violations.”
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department designate Algeria as a “Special Watch List” for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). In November, USCIRF also hosted a conversation with Commissioners and experts on Religious Freedom in Algeria.
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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].