Who Is Abduweli Ayup?

Abduweli Ayup is Uyghur linguist, human rights expert, journalist, former political prisoner, and advocate for Uyghur language and cultural rights — a strong Uyghur voice in the diaspora.

Full Name (English)
Abduweli Ayup
ئىسىم (Uyghur script)
ئابدۇۋېلى ئايۇپ
中文姓名 (if publicly used)
阿布都外力·阿尤甫 (Abuduwaili Ayupu)

Primary Field / Identity
Linguist • Poet • Educator • Human Rights Advocate • Cultural Preserver

Born: April 1973 — Kashgar (near Upal village), East Turkistan / Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Current Status / Location: Based in Bergen, Norway (since 2019, as a writer-in-residence under ICORN program)

Introduction
Abduweli Ayup is a Uyghur linguist, poet, and educator whose dedication to preserving the Uyghur language through teaching, documentation, and advocacy has positioned him as a key figure in linguistic human rights, particularly following his imprisonment in China and subsequent life in exile.

Background and Early Life
Born in 1973 near Kashgar in a region steeped in Uyghur linguistic and cultural heritage, including historical ties to scholars like Mahmud al-Kashgari, Ayup grew up in a community that emphasized Turkic traditions and oral history. These formative experiences, amid evolving social and political dynamics, fostered his early interest in language preservation and education.

Education and Career Path
Ayup began higher education in 1992 at the Central University for Nationalities (Minzu University) in Beijing, studying Turkic languages and literature, graduating in the late 1990s. He was a visiting scholar at Ankara University (2005–2006), earned a master’s in Classical Uyghur Literature from Xinjiang University (2001), and taught for nine years at institutions like Northwest Minzu University and Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics. In 2009, he received a Ford Foundation fellowship to study linguistics at the University of Kansas, completing a master’s degree in 2011. Upon return, he established Uyghur-medium kindergartens and language centers in Ürümqi and Kashgar.

Public Engagement and Platforms
Ayup engages through publications, lectures at international conferences (e.g., in Tromsø, Paris, Los Angeles, and others in 2025), media contributions, and online platforms in Uyghur, English, Turkish, and Norwegian. He is Editor-at-Large for Uyghur Post, a regular opinion contributor to Uyghur Times, founder/manager of Uyghur Hjelp (Uyghuryar), and active in diaspora events, human rights collaborations, and social media documentation.

Key Contributions and Impact
Ayup founded Uyghur Hjelp in 2016 to document human rights cases, translate evidence on the Uyghur situation, provide humanitarian aid to diaspora members, and support education. He has produced nine children’s textbooks, multiple books/collections in Uyghur and Turkish, reports on detained Uyghur intellectuals/imams, and his prison memoir Black Land (published in Turkish/Uyghur; English edition released in 2025 by Selkies House Limited). His work supports intergenerational Uyghur language transmission in exile and informs global research on cultural rights.

Recognition and Achievements
Ayup has been honored internationally for his linguistic and rights work, including the LinguaPax International Award (2023), Distinguished Linguist Award from the American Language Research Society (2023), Excellence in Community Linguistics Award from the Linguistic Society of America (2024), and the inaugural Language Rights Defenders Award from the Global Coalition for Language Rights (2024).

Challenges and Resilience (if applicable)
Arrested in August 2013 in China on charges related to fundraising for his language schools (classified as illegal), Ayup was sentenced in 2014 to 18 months in prison (with time served) and released in November 2014. He left China in August 2015 for Turkey, relocating to Norway in 2019. In February 2025, his scheduled presentation at a UNESCO language technologies conference in Paris was reportedly canceled last-minute amid alleged external pressures, yet he continued advocacy through alternative forums and publications.

Personal Notes
Ayup is recognized for his commitment to mentoring diaspora youth, developing accessible educational resources, and maintaining a focus on cultural continuity through poetry and storytelling.

Notable Quote
“The Uyghur language is banned in schools, hospitals, and government buildings.”
— Abduweli Ayup, 2025 (in New York Review of Books interview context on linguistic restrictions)

Timeline Highlights (optional)

• 2011 — Completed master’s in linguistics at University of Kansas; founded mother tongue kindergartens in Ürümqi and Kashgar
• 2013–2014 — Arrested and imprisoned for 15–18 months
• 2015 — Left China for Turkey
• 2016 — Founded Uyghur Hjelp
• 2019 — Relocated to Bergen, Norway
• 2023–2024 — Received multiple international language rights awards
• 2025 — Published English edition of Black Land; continued global lectures and documentation

Legacy and Continued Relevance
Abduweli Ayup’s efforts have provided essential resources and documentation that sustain Uyghur language education and cultural identity in the diaspora, while contributing to international awareness of linguistic human rights challenges. His resilience as a former detainee turned global advocate serves as an example for scholars and communities navigating repression. Through ongoing work with Uyghur Hjelp and publications into 2026, he remains a vital voice bridging academia, activism, and humanitarian support.

Category: Academia & Scholarship • Arts & Culture • Diaspora Leadership • Human Rights
Last Updated: January 19, 2026
By: Uyghur Times Editorial Team
Sources: (Internal — verified interviews, reports, publications, media references: Wikipedia, Uyghur Hjelp official site/Annual Report 2025, Linguistic Society of America, Global Coalition for Language Rights, New York Review of Books, NPR, VOA, Uyghur Human Rights Project, and related coverage)