World Uyghur Congress Honors Imprisoned Anthropologist Dr Rahile Dawut

The World Uyghur Congress honored imprisoned anthropologist Dr. Rahile Dawut with an award, urging Germany to pressure China for her immediate release while highlighting ongoing concerns regarding the suppression of Uyghur culture and rights.

World Uyghur Congress Honors Dr. Rahile Dawut

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has welcomed the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation’s Award for Courage to imprisoned Uyghur anthropologist Dr Rahile Dawut, urging the German government to press China for her immediate and unconditional release. According to a statement shared by the WUC in a post on X, the award was presented on November 9 at the Freedom and Security Women Summit held at the German Bundestag. WUC Executive Committee Chair Rushan Abbas accepted the award on behalf of Dr Dawut and read a letter from her daughter, Akida Pulat.

WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun described the recognition as a source of joy and inspiration for Uyghurs worldwide, particularly the Uyghur community in Germany. He thanked the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation and the summit organisers for bringing Dr Dawut’s case before an international audience, while reiterating that the Uyghur genocide continues. The WUC also called on Germany to raise Dr Dawut’s case directly with Beijing and demand her immediate and unconditional release so that she can reunite with her family.

Academic Legacy and Imprisonment

Dr Dawut earned international recognition for decades of research into Uyghur folklore, sacred sites and religious traditions. According to the WUC, her academic work documented and preserved important aspects of Uyghur cultural and religious heritage despite severe restrictions on cultural and religious life in the region. Dr Dawut disappeared in December 2017.

In September 2023, the Dui Hua Foundation reported, citing a Chinese government source, that she had been sentenced to life imprisonment on a state security charge and that her appeal had been rejected. The WUC said Chinese authorities have not publicly disclosed where Dr Dawut is currently being held. It described her imprisonment as part of what it called the Chinese government's deliberate efforts to erase Uyghur culture and history by silencing individuals who research, teach and preserve the community's heritage.

Demands for Action

Demanding her immediate and unconditional release, the organisation also called for the release of all Uyghurs imprisoned for peacefully exercising their rights. Until Dr Dawut is freed, the WUC urged Chinese authorities to disclose her whereabouts to her family and provide her with immediate access to her relatives and a lawyer of her choosing.

The organisation further urged the German government to raise her case by name during bilateral discussions with Beijing, coordinate efforts with European partners and keep Uyghur human rights on the agenda in its relations with China and at the United Nations. It also called on Berlin to press Beijing to grant independent human rights monitors unrestricted access to East Turkistan and pursue accountability for alleged human rights violations linked to the Uyghur genocide.

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