Rayhan Asat, the sister of Uyghur prisoner Ekpar Asat, told The Hill.TV that she hopes the United States will intervene in the Uyghur crisis and declare China’s actions a genocide.
Ekpar Asat was sentenced to 15 years in prison following his participation in the International Visitor Leadership Program and for providing a social media platform for Uyghurs, called Bagdax.
Once portrayed in a positive light in the Chinese media, Ekpar Asat was later accused of “inciting ethnic hatred” after his return to China.
“My brother’s case should speak well to the fact that even model citizens once held by the Chinese government as such are not spared,” said Rayhan Asat, adding that she has not heard any updates about her brother in four years.
“The Chinese government is using a multi-pronged approach to eliminate the Uyghur people as a whole,” said Rayhan Asat, citing what she called the intended use of sterilization and family separation. “It has risen to the level of genocide.”
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