A Kazakh man from East Turkistan, who was arrested for expressing a historical fact during an online discussion, recounted the severe torture he endured and said that he had witnessed a Uyghur being tortured to death before.
Köyzat Erkin, 27, was working as a civilian clerk in the city of Fukang and had also served as an auxiliary officer with the special police force for six months. Simply for talking about history, he was accused of “inciting ethnic hatred,” subjected to prolonged torture, and eventually fled to Kazakhstan with his young son—later making his way to Europe.
In a recent interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA), Erkin described the nightmare he endured—from being taken to an underground interrogation room at a police station in Fukang, to experiencing electric shocks inside his mouth, to ultimately fleeing the country with his family. Branded a “separatist” by the Chinese state for his historical interest and so-called “sensitive remarks,” Erkin says: “All we did was discuss the history of the Yuan Dynasty. How could that be considered separatism?”
Reported for Telling a Historical Truth
His life changed on June 19, 2023, during what seemed like a routine livestream. That day on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), he was discussing the social structure of the Yuan Dynasty with hundreds of viewers. During the discussion, he said: “At that time, the Han people had the lowest social status.” This statement is a well-established fact even in Chinese textbooks. Nevertheless, someone took a screenshot and reported him.
Shortly after, the Fukang Public Security Bureau launched an investigation for “inciting separatism.” Erkin was taken to an interrogation room three floors underground, where he was questioned for 17 hours without food or sleep.
He denied all accusations, explaining that he had attended Chinese schools since childhood, had Han Chinese friends, and had never expressed any ethnic discrimination. Nonetheless, he was placed under administrative detention for “inciting ethnic hatred.”
Electric Shocks to the Mouth, Blows to the Chest — “This Wasn’t Interrogation; It Was Torture”
While detained at the Fukang Detention Center, Erkin was subjected to systematic torture. Officers placed a book on his chest and punched it repeatedly. They also inserted an electric baton into his mouth and shocked him until he lost consciousness. “My face was burned, my eyebrows singed. When I passed out, they poured cold water on me to wake me up.”
As a diabetic, Erkin fainted multiple times due to hypoglycemia, but instead of being taken to a hospital, he was placed under stricter surveillance. He was held in Cell No. 108, which he described as a special torture room—surrounded by stone walls on three sides, devoid of light, and with its surveillance cameras deliberately covered with cloth. “It was used for torture,” he said.
“I Personally Witnessed a Uyghur Beaten to Death”
While recounting his own torture, Erkin also shared another incident he had personally witnessed. In 2016, during a short stint as an auxiliary police officer, he testified that he personally saw a Uyghur man named Abdurahim being beaten to death in custody. He added that Chinese authorities later claimed Abdurahim had died of “natural causes.”
After this traumatic event, Erkin said he fell into depression, quit his job, and opened a small pastry shop.
Escape to Kazakhstan
After his release, Erkin was forbidden from leaving Fukang. Nonetheless, in December 2023, he fled with his five-year-old son to Kazakhstan. Chinese state security forces continued to harass him via WeChat and text messages, pressuring him to return.
Even his sister was threatened by Chinese police. Due to pressure from Chinese authorities, the Kazakh immigration bureau also harassed him multiple times, forcing him to live in hiding for fear of deportation.
“The World Must Know We Are Not Terrorists”
In March, Erkin submitted testimony and video footage documenting his torture to Ata-Jurt Volunteers, a human rights organization in Kazakhstan. One of the group’s members, Tilek Niyazbek, said: “Fearing deportation, Erkin gave us these videos to publish in case anything happened to him.”
Escape from Kazakhstan
On June 27, 2025, with the help of friends, Erkin flew to Bosnia. From there, he crossed the border on foot with his young child. He was caught by patrol police after entering Croatia on June 30 and deported—but successfully crossed again the next day. On July 3, he traveled through Zagreb and Rijeka, reaching Slovenia on July 4.
Uyghurs Face Genocide, But They Are Not the Only Ones
While Uyghurs face genocide in East Turkistan, other Turkic peoples like Kazakhs and Kyrgyz have long been subjected to cultural, linguistic, and religious repression. Many have been punished merely for discussing history, practicing Islam, or using social media.
“We Are Not Terrorists or Separatists”
Speaking to RFA, Erkin said:
“I’m not sharing this for sympathy, but to leave evidence. I want the world to know what really happened—to show that we are not terrorists or separatists, but ordinary people who just talk about history.”
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