WUC slams Morocco for deporting Uyghur activist Dolkun Isa

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) condemned Morocco for detaining and deporting prominent Uyghur activist Dolkun Isa. He was traveling to attend a religious freedom summit when he was stopped, an act the WUC calls transnational repression.

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has strongly condemned the detention and deportation of prominent Uyghur activist and former WUC President Dolkun Isa by Moroccan authorities, describing the incident as part of a broader pattern of transnational repression against Uyghur human rights defenders.

In a press release, the WUC said Dolkun Isa travelled to Casablanca on July 20 to attend the International Religious Freedom Summit, a regional conference on freedom of religion or belief. The organisation alleged that Isa was stopped by immigration officials upon arrival, taken for secondary screening, detained overnight for around 15 hours with little explanation, and later deported to Germany, preventing him from participating in the event.

According to the WUC, Moroccan authorities handed Isa a written notice from the Ministry of Interior and the General Directorate of National Security stating that "there is a decision prohibiting entry to the Moroccan territory" against him.

"I believed I would be able to travel to Morocco to attend a religious freedom conference without difficulty, but once again I was proved wrong," Isa said, according to the WUC.

History of Harassment

The organisation further said that an Interpol Red Notice issued against Isa in 1997 following allegations submitted by the Chinese government had been deleted in 2018 after years of advocacy by lawyers and international organisations. However, it claimed the notice's consequences continue to affect his international travel and human rights work.

The WUC alleged that Isa has previously faced visa cancellations, entry denials, questioning and detention in several countries, including South Korea, India and Turkiye, and was also prevented from entering United Nations premises in New York and Geneva during accredited meetings.

Concerns Over Chinese Influence

Expressing concern over recent legal developments in China, the WUC said, "The timing of this incident is especially alarming, coming only weeks after Article 63 of the new Ethnic Unity Law entered into force."

The organisation added, "Although there is currently no public evidence that Moroccan authorities acted directly under Article 63, Mr Isa's detention and deportation demonstrate the urgent need for governments to reject China's attempts to export politically motivated repression beyond its borders."

WUC Calls for Accountability

Calling for action, the WUC said, "The Moroccan government must provide a clear explanation for Mr. Isa's detention and deportation, disclose whether the decision was influenced by information or pressure from China, and remove any outdated or politically motivated records concerning him."

The organisation also urged Germany, the European Union, the United Nations and international human rights organisations to raise the matter with Moroccan authorities and seek stronger protections for Uyghur activists facing what it described as transnational repression.

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