Turkey group seeks probe into Uyghur activist's death

Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) said on Friday that it has approached the UN Human Rights Council over the death of Uyghur human rights defender in China and has sought the safety of his wife and children, Anadolu Agency reports.

Tursun Kaliolla, an Uyghur living in China was taken into custody after he had written a petition to the government of China regarding unlawful arrests in the Eastern Turkistan region.

The IHH, in its application, alleged that the activist was murdered at a security camp.

It has demanded a probe into the death, the delivery of Kaliolla’s body, a proper autopsy, and protection for the family of the deceased activist.

In a statement issued on December 16, the IHH said the violations of human rights continue in every aspect of life in Eastern Turkistan, also known as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which was occupied by the Chinese Communist Party in 1949.

“The Muslim population in the Eastern Turkistan region have been undermined by China’s systematic assimilation, job export programs, forced migration, and population planning policies within the country, and the state tries to reverse the demographic structure,” the statement added.

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