Gender: Female
Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia
Ethnic Group: Uyghur
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: March/31/2022
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Ethnoreligious Identity
Nature of Charges: Unknown
Buheliqiemu Abula is detained for her ethnoreligious identity.
On March 31, 2022, Saudi Arabian authorities detained Abula and her teenage daughter, who are Uyghurs, near Mecca and reportedly said that they would be deported to China.
Abula’s ex-husband was also arrested in Saudi Arabia in November 2020 and is facing deportation to China.
Related Cases: Aimidoula Waili, Nuermaimaiti Ruze
“Urgent Action Update: Uyghur Teenage Girl and Mother Detained (Saudi Arabia: UA 27.22)” Amnesty International
“Uyghur Teenage Girll and Mother Detained” Amnesty International
“Saudi Arabia: Detained Uyghur men at risk of torture must not be extradited to China” Amnesty International
“Prominent Uyghur Scholar Arrested by Saudi Authorities on China’s Request” Pen America
Additional Name(s): Nur Muhammed Rozi
Gender: Male
Current Location: Riyadh
Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia
Ethnic Group: Uyghur
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: November//2020
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: No
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Ethnoreligious Identity
Nature of Charges: Unknown
Nuermaimaiti Ruze is detained for his ethnoreligious identity.
In November 2020, Saudi Arabian authorities arrested Ruze, who is Uyghur, and his friend following an extradition request from the Chinese government. Ruze is a resident of Mecca and had been working in a restaurant with a sponsored residence permit.
On March 16, 2022, Ruze was reportedly transferred to Riyadh, a move reportedly indicating imminent deportation to China.
Ruze’s ex-wife and her daughter were also arrested in Saudi Arabia and are facing deportation to China.
Related Cases: Aimidoula Waili, Buheliqiemu Abula
“Urgent Action Update: Uyghur Teenage Girl and Mother Detained (Saudi Arabia: UA 27.22)” Amnesty International
“Uyghur Teenage Girll and Mother Detained” Amnesty International
“Saudi Arabia: Detained Uyghur men at risk of torture must not be extradited to China” Amnesty International
USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel, Tweet, January 11, 2022
“Prominent Uyghur Scholar Arrested by Saudi Authorities on China’s Request” Pen America
Additional Name(s): Hamdullah Veli
Gender: Male
Perpetrator: Saudi Arabia
Ethnic Group: Uyghur
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other
Reports of Torture: Yes
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: November//2020
Current Status: Not Released
Religious Leader: Yes
Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment
Reason for Persecution: Ethnoreligious Identity
Nature of Charges: Unknown
Aimidoula Waili is detained for his ethnoreligious identity.
In November 2020, Saudi Arabian authorities arrested Waili, who is a Uyghur religious scholar, and his friend following an extradition request from the Chinese government. Waili entered Saudi Arabia in February 2020 from Turkey to go on pilgrimage.
On March 16, 2022, Waili was reportedly transferred to Riyadh, a move possibly indicating imminent deportation to China.
Waili had been previously arrested before in China and was reportedly tortured while imprisoned. He immigrated to Turkey following his release in 2016.
Related Cases: Nuermaimaiti Ruze, Buheliqiemu Abula
“Uyghur Teenage Girll and Mother Detained” Amnesty International
“Saudi Arabia: Detained Uyghur men at risk of torture must not be extradited to China” Amnesty International
USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel, Tweet, January 11, 2022
“Prominent Uyghur Scholar Arrested by Saudi Authorities on China’s Request” Pen America