Dr. Gulshan Abbas Spends Sixth Consecutive Birthday in Chinese Prison
Washington, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) has called for the immediate release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas, who is marking her sixth consecutive birthday under imprisonment by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Despite appeals from 37 countries, Dr. Abbas remains detained as part of what CFU describes as a global campaign of transnational repression.
Dr. Abbas was abducted on September 10, 2018, in an act allegedly retaliating against the activism of her sister Rushan Abbas, CFU Executive Director, and her brother Dr. Rishat Abbas, President of the Uyghur Academy – International. She is serving a twenty-year prison sentence on charges of "terrorism," which CFU claims are unfounded and part of a broader campaign against Uyghurs during the ongoing genocide.
At 62 years old and with pre-existing medical conditions requiring regular care, Dr. Abbas’s family has not received any updates on her health since her detention.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded during its 95th session that Dr. Abbas's detention was arbitrary and violated international law, calling for her immediate release. Her case has been referred to special rapporteurs and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Additionally, she is included in the U.S. Department of State’s #WithoutJustCause campaign highlighting individuals wrongfully detained globally.
In January 2024, she was named a Prisoner of Conscience under the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project. Senator Dick Durbin recently highlighted her case at an appropriation committee hearing, and she was mentioned in a Senate Resolution honoring the Tiananmen Square Massacre victims.
“As we mark my sister Gulshan’s 6th birthday in detention, our family feels the weight of her absence,” said Dr. Rishat Abbas. “Her imprisonment is a constant reminder of the suffering endured by countless Uyghurs.”
Rushan Abbas also expressed sorrow over her sister’s prolonged detention: “Gulshan spends yet another birthday unjustly imprisoned... This day used to be a celebration; now it illustrates CCP's brutality.”
CFU continues to call for Dr. Gulshan Abbas’ unconditional release and urges global solidarity against unlawful detentions by the CCP.
