Uyghur Intellectual Ibrahim Dawut Dies in Custody

Ibrahim Dawut, a Uyghur intellectual and former chemistry teacher at Kashgar Secondary School No. 6, died in detention two months after his arrest in July 2019, RFA reported. His arrest occurred the night before his daughter’s wedding during a crackdown on Uyghur men in Xinjiang. Authorities claimed he was detained due to his societal influence.

Dawut was an advocate for Uyghur language education, opposing the government’s bilingual education policies that favored Mandarin. He translated Chinese textbooks into Uyghur and opened bookstores to promote Uyghur-language materials. His activism extended to organizing teachers and successfully suing the local government for withholding salaries.

On October 6, 2019, authorities informed his family of his death, attributing it to a heart attack, but buried him without allowing them to see his body. His death has sparked outrage among relatives and the Uyghur community, with many demanding accountability for the circumstances surrounding his passing.