Gulshan Abbas
Detained Since: September 11, 2018.
Charges: "Participating in a terrorist organization," "aiding terrorist activities," and "gathering a crowd to disrupt social order."
Sentence: 20 years in prison.
Biography: Dr. Gulshan Abbas is imprisoned in relation to her ethnoreligious identity.
On September 11, 2018, authorities in Urumqi municipality, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) forcibly disappeared Dr. Abbas, a retired medical doctor, and sent her to a reeducation camp. Her arrest may have been made in retaliation for her sister, Rushan's public criticism of the treatment of Uyghurs by the Government of China at an event at a U.S. think-tank less than one week earlier.
In March 2019, Dr. Abbas was reportedly sentenced to 20 years in prison during a secret trial. Her family was not notified about her hearing or sentence until December 2020, 21 months after it took place. It was then learned that Abbas had been convicted of "participating in a terrorist organization," "aiding terrorist activities," and "gathering a crowd to disrupt social order."
Her family have not had contact with her since she was detained in 2018.
Dr. Abbas reportedly suffers from high blood pressure, severe back pain that often leads to immobilization, osteoporosis, and recurring migraines.
Dr. Abbas was one of the first cases featured in the U.S. Department of State's #WithoutJustCause program, launched on January 11, 2023.
Advocate:Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA)
Advocacy Partner:U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Updates:
- During their statement for the "Item 4 General debate on human rights situations that require the Council’s attention" at the 55th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the European Union called for the immediate, unconditional release of Gulshan Abbas, Rahile Dawut, Ilham Tohti, Gao Zhisheng, Xu Zhiyong, Wang Yi, Ekpar Asat, Wang Bingzhang, and John Cao (who had been released on March 5, 2024) in China and Vladimir Kara-Murza in Russia, among others, as well as raised the general situation of arbitrary detainees in Belarus and Iran, and highlighted concerns over the death in custody of Alexei Navalny (March 20, 2024, Delegation of the European Union to the UN).
- On March 8 2024, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), and advocate Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) led a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield which called for the Department of State to continue advocating for the release of arbitrary detainees in China, including Dr. Abbas. The letter was signed by a total of 43 Members of Congress, including TLHRC Co-chairs Rep. James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Chis Smith (R-NJ) (March 8, 2024, Office of Congressman Mike Waltz).
- The case of Gulshan Abbas was highlighted in the U.S. Department of State's 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released on April 22, 2024 (April 22, 2024, U.S. Department of State).
- During the 39th EU-China joint Human Rights Dialogue on June 16, 2024, the EU delegation called for the immediate release of Gulshan Abbas, Ilham Tohti, Rahile Dawut, and Wang Yi, among others (June 17, 2024, Delegation of the EU to the PRC).
- On June 19, 2024, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor called on the Government of China to provide Gulshan Abbas' family with information on her location, her conviction, and the status of her health (June 19, 2024, OHCHR).
- On June 7, 2024, UN Special Rapporteurs Mary Lawlor, Irene Khan, Tlaleng Mofokeng, and Margaret Satterthwaite submitted a communication to the Government of China requesting information on the case of Dr. Abbas, in addition to requesting an update on the status of her health. No response was received within 60 days of the communication's submission (August 7, 2024, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders).