Press statement against the decision to extradite two Uyghurs to China

Following the decisions of the 16th and 18th Administrative Courts in Istanbul approving the extradition of two Uyghurs to China, a press statement was held in front of the Istanbul Regional Administrative Court.

Recently, the 16th and 18th Administrative Courts of Istanbul ruled in favor of extraditing two Uyghurs to Pekin, arguing that there is “no serious, concrete material evidence” proving they would face persecution upon their return.

In protest of this ruling, a press statement was organized on 14 March 2025 in front of the Istanbul Regional Administrative Court in Bağcılar. The event saw the participation of numerous non-governmental organizations, including the East Turkistan Human Rights Watch Association, the International Refugee Rights Association, Mazlumder, and the International Union of East Turkistan NGOs (UDTSB).

In its statement, UDTSB declared: “By approving the deportation of two Uyghurs living in Turkey, the courts have disregarded the grave human rights violations in East Turkistan and the imminent threat to their lives. International reports indisputably document the persecution in China.”

UDTSB also called on the Republic of Turkey to immediately annul the decision of the 18th Administrative Court and halt the extradition process, strictly enforce Articles 4 and 55 of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, take into account reports from international human rights organizations and the United Nations regarding human rights violations in East Turkistan and investigate their findings, and guarantee the rights of all Uyghur refugees in Turkey in accordance with international law and the laws of the Republic of Turkey.