A Thai lawyer has filed an appeal with a Thai court for the release of 42 Uyghurs who have been detained in Thailand for over ten years, contending that their lengthy imprisonment has been illegal.
A Thai lawyer, Chuchart Kanpai, has petitioned for the release of 42 Uyghur men who have been detained in Thailand for over ten years. The men were arrested on immigration charges in 2013 while escaping alleged persecution in China.
In his appeal filed with a Thai court on January 30, 2025, Chuchart stressed the prolonged length of the Uyghurs’ detention and contended that their imprisonment has been illegal. “They spent more than ten years in prison, from 2013 to 2025. They completed the sentence,” Chuchart said in the petition.
RFA reported that in his appeal, Chuchart demands that the 42 Uyghurs be released immediately, claiming that their prolonged confinement is illegal. The case will be heard by the Thai court on February 17, and witnesses from groups like the World Uyghur Congress are anticipated to testify.
The petition was filed as human rights organizations became more concerned that the arrested Uyghurs might be sent to China, where they would be at serious risk of torture and other atrocities, as reported by RFA.
Thai authorities have been forcing the detainees to complete paperwork that could lead to their deportation, according to a report by the advocacy group Justice for All, as quoted by RFA. However, a representative of the Thai government, claiming that Thailand had “no policy” to deport the Uyghurs, brushed off worries of forced repatriation, RFA said.
The Uyghurs’ predicament has garnered international attention, and UN experts have urged Thailand to refrain from deporting any of the inmates, as it would put them in danger.
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