Abdurehim Heyt

Abdurehim Heyit (Uyghur: ئابدۇرېھىم ھېيىت, born 1962) is a Uyghur folk singer‌ and compositor. In February 2019, Turkish government sources reported that he had died in custody in China, but this claim was contradicted by Chinese sources.

Heyt was renowned for his performances on the dutar, a two-stringed traditional instrument.He studied music in Beijing, and performed with national arts troupes in China.In March 2017, he was arrested and imprisoned, reportedly after performing a song, "Fathers", based on a traditional Uyghur poem calling on younger generations to respect the sacrifices of their forefathers and containing a reference to the "martyrs of war".He was reportedly serving an eight-year sentence.

The Uyghur people are a Turkic language-speaking group, and a spokesman for the Turkish foreign ministry described Heyit as a "distinguished poet".

It was reported, initially by Turkish media, that he died in custody in Urumqi on 9 February 2019, after being tortured. He was reportedly being held in a detention camp on an eight-year sentence. His death was not officially confirmed,but the reports led to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs objecting to the treatment of ethnic Uyghurs in the Xinjiang province of China, describing them as "great shame for humanity" and noting the "systematic assimilation policy of Chinese authorities against the Uighur Turks is a great embarrassment for humanity".

On 10 February, Chinese state media released a video claiming to show Heyit on that day, with the man shown stating that he was in "good health" and that he was "in the process of being investigated for allegedly violating national laws".The US-based NED-funded Uyghur Human Rights Project questioned the authenticity of the video.Magnus Fiskesjo, at Cornell University, stated that the recording appeared to be scripted and showed similar signs to confessions in which the subjects had been threatened or tortured.

International reaction

The Turkish foreign ministry has accused China of holding Uyghurs in "concentration camps". China has responded that Turkey's comments are "completely unacceptable". With the exception of Turkey's statement, there has been little public condemnation from Muslim majority countries; analysts believe their complacency may be due to a fear of economic and political consequences.

After international attention for Heyt's fate, Chinese authorities released a video in which Mr. Heyt said he was in detention and under lawful investigation. On July 25, 2019, Turkish newspaper Aydınlık interviewed him in his house in Urumchi.