World Uyghur Congress Condemns the Sentencing of Yalkun Isa and Ongoing Uyghur Persecution

Press Release

Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org

+49 89 5432 1999 or contact@uyghurcongress.org

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) strongly condemns the unjust imprisonment of Yalkun Isa, the brother of WUC’s former president and activist Dolkun Isa, by Chinese authorities. According to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA) on February 28, 2025, Yalkun Isa, a 63-year-old former mathematics professor at the Aksu Education Institute, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for “inciting terrorism.” His previous communications with his brother, Dolkun Isa is suspected to be associated with his sentence. 

WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun stated: “The imprisonment of Yalkun Isa is not just an attack on one individual, but a stark reminder of China’s relentless oppression of Uyghurs. The CCP’s strategy of detaining Uyghur intellectuals under false charges is a deliberate attempt to erase Uyghur identity and silence an entire people.”

This sentencing reflects the ongoing persecution of Uyghurs in East Turkistan, where countless individuals—including intellectuals, teachers, and cultural figures—have been arbitrarily detained under baseless accusations. Yalkun Isa, despite his dedication to education, has been imprisoned on unfounded charges, highlighting the Chinese government’s indiscriminate targeting of Uyghurs. He is among the thousands of Uyghurs who have been falsely accused of engaging in so-called “terrorist activities” or forcibly sent to so-called “re-education” camps, where they face psychological and physical abuse. Even Uyghur professors, scholars, and educators—who clearly do not need further education—are not spared from this systematic campaign of repression.

The persecution of Dolkun Isa’s family is not an isolated incident. In 2017, another brother of Dolkun Isa, Hushtar Isa, was sentenced to life in prison on similar fabricated charges of “signs of religious extremism” and “preparations for terrorism,” as reported by RFA Uyghur Service. In 2018, his mother Ayhan Memet died in a camp. In 2020, his father’s death was confirmed in a Chinese propaganda tabloid, Global Times. This pattern of targeting Uyghur family members demonstrates China’s ruthless transnational repression, seeking to punish those advocating for Uyghur rights by imprisoning their loved ones.

‘’I am heartbroken,’’ said Dolkun Isa. ‘’My activism has led to the persecution of my entire family. It is the collective reality of all Uyghurs, and I urge governments to speak on their behalf. We must free them.’’

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has continuously used false terrorism charges as a pretext to criminalize Uyghurs, stripping them of their rights and silencing their voices. Arbitrary detentions and fabricated charges have devastated the Uyghur community, targeting individuals merely for their identity, cultural heritage, or familial ties to Uyghur activists abroad. The case of Yalkun Isa is yet another tragic example of Beijing’s brutal tactics to exert control over the Uyghur diaspora and punish those advocating for Uyghur human rights.

The WUC reiterates its unwavering commitment to seeking justice for Yalkun Isa and all unlawfully detained Uyghurs.