Read on Twitter
Latest: After @ziba116 revealed that her mother Dr. #GulshanAbbas had been sentenced to 20 years in March 2019, #Beijing confirmed it on Thursday, claiming that Abbas was sentenced under crimes related to "terrorism activities." https://williamyang-35700.medium.com/beijing-confirmed-sentencing-retired-uyghur-doctor-to-20-years-in-jail-after-she-went-missing-for-389ea8ad948b
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wanbin said during the daily press conference that Gulshan Abbas, was sentenced under the crime of “participating in a terrorist organization, aiding terrorist activities and assembling crowds to disrupt social order.”
“China is a country of rule of law, where criminals must be held accountable,” Wang said. “We urge some American politicians to respect facts, stop making lies to smear China and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of Xinjiang-related issues.”
Earlier, @ziba116 wrote on Twitter that sharing the news about her mother's sentencing was "horrific" but the overwhelming support that she has received empowered her.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for democracy, human rights and labour also called on the immediate release of #GulshanAbbas, describing her experience as "evidence of a family suffering the consequences of speaking out against a government that has no respect for human rights.
Abbas' sister, @RushanAbbas, told me that it’s devastating to hear the charges given to her sister, because it means that the Chinese government is “unrepentant” about its actions. “Beijing conveniently accused many Uyghurs of terrorism in secret trials without any evidence."
According to Abbas, China’s state-run tabloid Global Times accused her of stealing some Uyghurs’ photos and information and claimed that those were her missing relatives in Xinjiang. (Can be found here: https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1174468.shtml)
“The information we have now is that my sister was sentenced in March of 2019, so at the time of the article, they had already given her the sentence,” said Abbas. “These charges are an example of what the Chinese regime does to try to silence Uyghurs.”
Abbas described her sister as an apolitical person, but her trust in the Chinese government didn’t end up protecting her from being persecuted. “My sister is mild-mannered, selfless, kind, and gentle,” Rushan told me.
“She is always looking out for others, so her career as a medical doctor was a great fit for her. She retired early due to her delicate health, which brings us additional agony as we imagine how she may be suffering now in Xinjiang.”
Abbas said her sister’s case proves that a quiet, law-abiding Chinese citizen who had worked at a state-run hospital for decades, is still not safe to live a normal life as a Uyghur.
“The absurdity of my sister’s sentencing for 20-years on terrorism-related charges is clear evidence of this genocide,” Abbas said.
Abbas said she will keep pleading to the incoming @JoeBiden administration and international allies to “take realistic and decisive actions” to address the threat that the Chinese government poses to all humanity.
“My message to the international community is this: history’s worst mistakes are being repeated. If my sister can be targeted, no one is safe,” Abbas said.
