According to Uyghur activist and linguist Abduweli Ayup, Uyghur businessman Yaqupjan Momin was arrested by state security in Uzbekistan 30 days ago. Yaqupjan Momin, Yakefujiang Momin in Chinese Pinyin, a 35-year-old Uyghur male holding a Chinese passport, had his passport renewed by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 24, 2023, according to documents.
The reasons for his detention remain unclear, with Uyghurs in Tashkent suggesting that the Uzbek authorities responded to a Chinese request. This incident comes amid an increasing trend of Uyghurs being questioned in the region.
Based on Uyghur Times’ open-source investigation, there are no public documents showing that Uzbekistan authorities arrested the Uyghur businessman based on any criminal charge.
Uzbekistan has arrested Uyghur activists and businessmen at the request of the Chinese government and deported many Uyghurs to China.
Huseyin Celil, a 53-year-old from Burlington, Canada, was arrested by Uzbek authorities during his visit to the country at the request of the Chinese government and subsequently deported back to China.He has been imprisoned for 17 years. The last 7 years have been incommunicado, as China intensified the internment of Uyghurs.
