Rayhan Asat

A U.S. judge granted asylum to a political dissident who got picked up by ICE and faced deportation. I hope this news provides hope to many who are deeply concerned about the rule of law today. Guan Heng was always hopeful throughout the past few months. We can’t afford to be hopeless.

Dissident Who Daringly Documented Uyghurs’ Repression Wins Asylum

The evidence of mass detention of Uyghurs collected by a Chinese dissident "added significant weight to the Trump administration’s own findings that the atrocities amounted to genocide."

Read SLP's @rayhanasat.bsky.social in the @nytimes.com ⤵️

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/u...

There are over 1350 elderly victims documented as serving prison terms (potential death sentences).

Name: Bayimhan Mamut
Age: 64
Status: serving a 10-year sentence (Kashgar Women’s Prison) for "illegal religious activities"; in poor health

shahit.biz/eng/2985/

In Argentina, a Bold Step for Global Justice: Holding the Chinese Government Accountable for Atrocities Against Uyghurs A recent court decision in Argentina offers a source of hope to Uyghur victims seeking justice for Beijing's alleged atrocities in Xinjiang.

“While there are many challenges ahead, the court’s decision offers a critical source of hope to the victims and survivors who are seeking justice for Beijing’s ongoing atrocities in Xinjiang.”

Read SLP’s @rayhanasat.bsky.social in @justsecurity.org ⬇️

www.justsecurity.org/118048/argen...

In Argentina, a Bold Step for Global Justice: Holding the Chinese Government Accountable for Atrocities Against Uyghurs A recent court decision in Argentina offers a source of hope to Uyghur victims seeking justice for Beijing's alleged atrocities in Xinjiang.

#Uyghurs seeking justice for alleged #CrimesAgainstHumanity and #genocide by #China saw their odds improve recently – in #Argentina.

@rayhanasat.bsky.social and @sophiedrich.bsky.social on the #UniversalJurisdiction case and what it means:

www.justsecurity.org/118048/argen...

Report: Progress in talks to release Elizabeth Tsurkov, Israeli held in Iraq since 2023 ***

I have long appreciated Elizabeth Tsurkov's rigorous & dedicated scholarship & the appeals to common human decency in her social media presence. I hope she is reunited with her loved ones soon & that the Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah ceases to exist. www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

Harvard stands out as one of the premier universities in the world, thanks to its exceptional faculty, diverse international community, and extensive resources. While it is not without its shortcomings, Harvard is committed to continuous improvement.

During my time at @harvard as an international student, I faced with life-changing event when my brother was taken hostage by the Chinese government. This experience was deeply unsettling. But, I found immense support from my friends in the @harvard community when I chose to share his story publicly

The Ongoing Mass Atrocity Crimes Against the Uyghurs and How the UN Can Respond - International Peace Institute On May 1st, IPI and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide will co-host an event on “The Ongoing Mass Atrocity Crimes Against the Uyghurs and ...

It’s a privilege to share the stage today with @rayhanasat.bsky.social @rushanabbas.bsky.social @ipinst.bsky.social and @ushmm.bsky.social. The #China govt continues to violate #Uyghurs’ #humanrights on an industrial scale. Democracies, #UN can’t look away.

www.ipinst.org/2025/04/the-...

Hear SLP's @rayhanasat.bsky.social speak at an event hosted by @ipinst.bsky.social and the @ushmm.bsky.social Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, “The Ongoing Mass Atrocity Crimes Against the Uyghurs and How the UN Can Respond.”

Register now to attend in-person ⬇️
buff.ly/vM40MEe

Honored to join @rayhanasat.bsky.social @rushanabbas.bsky.social @benmauk.bsky.social at this @ipinst.bsky.social @ushmm.bsky.social event, where we will discuss ongoing #crimesagainsthumanity targeting #Uyghurs, #UN responses (or lack thereof), and next steps.

On May 1 in NYC, I'll be screening a new theatrical version of REEDUCATED, our New Yorker documentary about China's mass internment of minorities, at the International Peace Institute. Register at the link below.

@newyorker.com @ipinst.bsky.social @ushmm.bsky.social

mailchi.mp/ipinst/the-o...

Following the film, there will be a panel discussion and Q&A with Rayhan Asat (@rayhanasat.bsky.social), Rushan Abbas (@rushanabbas.bsky.social) , Sophie Richardson, and me.

Thanks to the IPI and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for supporting and hosting this event.

mailchi.mp/ipinst/the-o...

Thank you so much for @tlhumanrights.bsky.social for calling my brother’s release.. We must bring Ekpar home.

I’m grateful to Lukas Goyret for interviewing me about China’s atrocity crimes in Argentina. For Argentinians, concepts like enforced disappearance, torture, and arbitrary detention are all too real, given the country’s history with dictatorship. t.co/Vca0E3UbbB

Exclusive: Canada and US offered Uyghurs in Thailand asylum before deportation to China, sources say Canada and the United States offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand over the past decade, sources told Reuters, but Bangkok took no action for fear of upsetting China, where they were covertly deported last week.

Canada and the United States offered to resettle dozens of ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand over the past decade, sources told Reuters, but Bangkok took no action for fear of upsetting China, where they were covertly deported last week. www.reuters.com/world/canada...

This act makes Thailand complicit in egregious human rights violations, and it must be held accountable for its role in perpetuating what amounts to an act of genocide. She is also individually responsible. Chinese news confirmed about their repatriation.

!!!!! Devastating News!!!!

The Thai Prime Minister has effectively condemned 40 #Uyghur refugees to grave danger by repatriating them to China, despite their long-standing ordeal of severe mistreatment in a Thai refugee center & the well-documented risk of torture & possible death upon their return

"People don’t suffer less because of the identity of the perpetrator. They suffer equally." A Conversation with Rayhan Asat

It was a great pleasure to speak to @rayhanasat.bsky.social about the situation of Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang, the role forced labour there plays in the global economy & the role of "influencers" & Beijing-aligned "journalists" in whitewashing the abuses. michaeldeibert.substack.com/p/people-don...

The Global Outrage Machine Skips the Uyghurs China grandstands about Gaza while repressing a Muslim community within its own borders. Hardly anyone seems to notice.

“The suffering of Palestinians reverberates with a familiar pain,” writes SLP’s @rayhanasat.bsky.social, drawing parallels between the crisis in Gaza and the ongoing repression of the Uyghur population in China.

Check out @theatlantic.com to read more ⬇️
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Nice to see two Democracy in Exile essays cited here in @theatlantic.com, though this piece doesn't really engage substantively with the comparisons between Gaza and Xinjiang—and might also leave you asking what the "global outrage machine" actually is? www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

How Justice Is Denied From Palestine to the Uyghur Homeland As a Uyghur human rights lawyer forced to live in exile, I see Xinjiang everywhere. But nowhere more starkly than in places like Gaza.

The first article mentioned is @rayhanasat.bsky.social's great essay on how Gaza's destruction mirrors the repression in Xinjiang: "As a Uyghur human rights lawyer forced to live in exile, I see Xinjiang everywhere. But nowhere more starkly than in places like Gaza." dawnmena.org/how-justice-...

白纸运动之《乌鲁木齐中路》纪录片制作人陈品霖（网名Plato）案一审将于2025年1月6日在上海宝山法院开庭 维权网敬启：相关媒体在采纳和引用本网报道时请务必注明出处！此为本网官方博客，维权网推特:@weiquanwang，维权网邮箱：wqw2011@gmail.com 谢谢支持！

🆘 According to #Weiquanwang, #China filmmaker #ChenPinlin will go on trial *tmrw,* Jan 6. #UNSpecialProcedures determined Chen's detention to be arbitrary in Nov '24. Chen is charged w "picking quarrels"--a vague crime #UN #VolkerTurk urged #XiJinping to repeal.
wqw2010.blogspot.com/2025/01/plat...

Statement on my brother’s birthday.

Ekpar Asat Status: Imprisoned Country: China Advocate: Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)

Today marks #Uyghur entrepreneur #US #StateDepart #IVLP alum #EkparAsat’s 8th b’day in #China govt #arbitrarydetention, family’s enduring #collectivepunishment. Aspire to secure his, many others’ releases so families can celebrate freely & together.

humanrightscommission.house.gov/DFP/Countrie...

Democracy in Exile's Most Popular Articles of 2024 Coverage of Gaza again dominated our most-read articles of the year, just like last year. As Israel's devastating war in Gaza has dragged on with American support, Democracy in Exile continued to magn...

"As a Uyghur human rights lawyer forced to live in exile, I see Xinjiang everywhere. But nowhere more starkly than in places like Gaza."

Check out @rayhanasat.bsky.social's recent article, included in @dawnmenaorg.bsky.social's most popular articles of 2024: dawnmena.org/democracy-in...

It marks the 6th anniversary of Rehmutulla, a toddler who was left in the care of grandparent after his parents were sent to camps. He wandered off & was found dead in a cold winter. How many #Uyghurs kids like him? Would his death shock the consciousness of the world as it did in other atrocities?

So concerned about Ekpar. He’s not even allowed to call for 2 minutes lately. The last time he called my parents, he was forced to speak in Chinese. When you grew up speaking #Uyghur w/ family, speaking in Chinese is not just inconvenience 别扭 but takes away intimate connections

The Documentary - Blood on the shelves - BBC Sounds How tomato paste made with forced labour in China is likely to be in supermarkets

In a new documentary featuring SLP senior legal & policy advisor @rayhanasat.bsky.social, BBC Sounds follows the tomato industry and its ties to atrocities and forced labor in Xinjiang.

🎧Listen to her comments on ongoing human rights violations against the Uyghurs.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...