By Tayier Yimingniyazi (Tahir Imin) @uyghurian, Nov 5, 2021
In December 2020, Kurban, 47, a father of three, left Turkey. There are reports that many Uyghurs have been covertly deported back to China via Tajikistan. For this reason, many Uyghurs have sought refuge in Europe for the past few years.
“The situation here is quite difficult; I have been going through physical and mental hardships; they do not provide medical assistance, and I have developed dermatitis here.” ‘I have nightmares about being deported back to China almost every day,’ Kurban told the Uyghur Times, using his cellmate’s phone.
Kurban, a father of three, went to immigration court in February 2021 and was told he would have to wait a month for the results. However, he remains in the prison camp despite the fact that he has not received any favorable results after ten months.
“We are really worried about his safety and life, as well as his health in prison, the children are crying every day,” Rabiya Yakup, his wife, told Uyghur Times from her residence in Istanbul. “He is an innocent and good man, he has never committed any crime, he just went to see if we could move to Europe after him.”
(Photo: Kurban with his family in Istanbul, Turkey, 2019)
Interpol officers came to question him last week and inquired about his background. My sole ‘crime’ is attempting to enter Europe illegally. I’m not sure why Interpol is interrogating me. I’m wondering if Montenegro has reported my case to China; I need assistance. I don’t want to be deported back to China; it would be a death sentence for me; I need to leave this country.’
Turkey has the world’s largest Uyghur diaspora, and many Uyghurs have recently fled to western countries after many Uyghurs were reported missing and deported back to China.