On March 3, 2022, United Nations human rights experts sent a letter to Saudi Arabia expressing concern about Saudi Arabia's arbitrary detention, without charge, of Chinese Uyghur nationals. The two citizens are Waili Aimidoula and Nuermaimaiti Ruze, who have been detained in Saudi Arabia since November 2020. According to the letter, Saudi Arabia intends to hand them over to China, with all the risk of torture and ill-treatment by their country's authorities that might entail on them.
The letter was signed by the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.
According to the letter, the Chinese authorities arrested Waili Aimidoula and accused him of helping organize an attack on June 26, 2013, in which 27 people were killed after a series of strikes on police stations, government offices, and construction sites in Luxun City. It also accused him of organizing the Tiananmen Square attack on October 28, 2013, in Beijing. In early 2014, Waili was released after he was declared innocent of all charges. Despite his innocence, the local authorities forced Waili to leave his residence in Ürümqi city shortly after his release. Accordingly, Abdul Wali moved to live in Tucson city, and on February 27, 2016, Abdul Wali traveled with his family to Turkey, where he obtained a residence permit issued by the Turkish authorities. Amad Nurmimet Rozi traveled to Turkey in 2016, where he obtained a residence permit issued by the Turkish authorities.
The letter indicated that on February 3, 2020, Waili traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. Because of the measures related to the Corona pandemic, Waili was prevented from returning to Turkey, where his family resides. Upon his arrival in Mecca, Waili was invited - by the Uyghurs residing there - to perform the missionary work known as Tabligh. In the same year, Rousey traveled to Saudi Arabia. Soon after, Abdul Wali and Rosie were informed by a member of the Uighur community that the Saudi police were looking for them. Waili's relatives were also interrogated about him at the Chinese consulate in Holy Makkah.
As also stated in the letter, on November 20, 2020, Waili and Ruze were arrested by the Saudi authorities, as police officers raided their house in Mecca. The authorities did not inform them of the reason for the arrest. After interrogating them, they were transferred to the General Investigation Prison in Dhahban in the city of Jeddah, where they are currently being held without any charges being brought against them until now by the Saudi judicial authority.
The letter added that on January 3, 2022, the Saudi authorities informed Waili and Ruze that they would soon hand them over to China, without elaborating on further details. Waili's relatives have not been able to speak to him since his arrest. In addition, his relatives learned of the intention of the Saudi authorities to extradite him to China through their contacts with Uighurs residing in Saudi Arabia. The two men were never brought before any judge or court, and no file or evidence was presented against them to explain or justify their continued detention, which in turn hampers the defense team's proceedings in their pleadings. Abdul Wali's lawyer in Istanbul tried to learn about the legal procedures followed and the reasons for his arrest and detention in Saudi Arabia, but according to the information, the Saudi authorities refused to provide him with any information about this case.
The Special Rapporteurs expressed concern about the Saudi authorities' intention to deport Waili and Ruze to China, where they may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment. The rapporteurs affirmed that according to Article 3 of the Convention against Torture, ratified by Saudi Arabia in 1997, and paragraph 9 of General Comment No. 20 on the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment issued by the Human Rights Committee, in addition to paragraph 9 of Resolution A/RES/61/253, of the United Nations General Assembly, no state party may expel, return or extradite a person to another state, if it has real reasons to believe that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture in that country.
The Special Rapporteurs also emphasized that the Saudi violations(if this information is proven correct) of the decisions of the Human Rights Council prohibiting arbitrary deprivation of liberty and secret incommunicado detention and articles 3 and 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, stipulate the right of the individual to a fair and public trial by a competent, independent, and impartial court.
Accordingly, the Special Rapporteurs requested Saudi Arabia to provide detailed information on the factual and legal grounds for the arrest and detention of Waili and Ruze and to clarify that the legal procedures relating to the extradition of these two individuals comply with due process standards recognized under international law, taking into account fundamental safeguards, such as unrestricted and confidential access. To a lawyer of their choice to present their evidence and defend themselves. They also asked the Saudi authorities to provide information on measures taken to ensure that members of the Uighur minority legally residing in Saudi Arabia can peacefully exercise their legitimate right to freedom of belief without fear of arrest, detention, deportation, or any other violation of their rights.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights asserts that the Saudi government may deport the two men to China at any moment despite fears for their safety due to the violations they may be exposed to, although this is a violation of international and domestic laws. The organization notes that Saudi Arabia practices arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance on a large scale, ignoring the international laws that prevent this. Rather, it practices these violations against people fleeing religious persecution in their home country before deporting them to it, disregarding all international laws and moral principles. and humanity.