The Uyghur American Association/ Uyghur Human Rights Project hails Rebiya Kadeer’s release, but calls on the Chinese government to unconditionally release all political prisoners, and to improve its human rights record. According to Nury Turkel, President of UAA/UHRP, “Rebiya has been protected by the continuing interest in her case, but now that interest must extend to the thousands of other political prisoners who have been imprisoned for so called ‘separatist’ activities since September 11, 2001.” East Turkistan is the only region in the People’s Republic of China that executes political prisoners.

Uyghur political prisoner Rebiya Kadeer left the most notorious women’s prison in Urumqi, China yesterday on medical parole to seek treatment in the United States, and will arrive in Washington, DC today. The former millionaire businesswoman has been the highest-profile Uyghur political prisoner, and her release, which coincides with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s upcoming state visit to Beijing, gives new hope to the international Uyghur community.

“We are delighted that Rebiya has been released and can now rejoin her family here in the United States,” said Nury Turkel “Rebiya was jailed for her tireless efforts as an advocate for Uyghur political and social freedoms, so despite the joy we share at her release, she also wouldn’t want us to forget those who remain in prison. We welcome her release, but China’s human rights record remains dismal.”

Rebiya was arrested in 1999 while attempting to meet with a US Congressional delegation, and was sentenced to eight years in jail in 2000. While her sentence was later reduced, the international community remained very concerned about her declining health, and continued to exert pressure for her unconditional release. She has subsequently won the 2004 Rafto Prize, and has been nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, for her work to improve the lives of Uyghurs in East Turkistan.

Rebiya Kadeer’s daughter, Akida Rouzi, said today that the family is overjoyed to finally reunite and thanks all of the organizations and government officials who have kept her case at the forefront of US-China relations since her arrest. The recent human rights report from the US Department of State criticized the Chinese government’s continued abuse of Uyghurs in East Turkistan (referred to by the Chinese government as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.) Members of the US Congress, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Dui Hua Foundation and the Rafto Foundation have also been influential in pressing China for Rebiya’s release.