2nd Year In Chinese Prison And His Whereabouts is unknown

Canada to attend Olympics opening

Harper says he's not planning on going, urges Beijing to respect rights, peaceful protests

Ottawa presses China for location of jailed Canadian

Canadian officials called the Chinese ambassador yesterday to ask that Beijing tell Huseyin Celil's family where the imprisoned Canadian is being held, the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.

Family of Canadian serving life in prison in China say his whereabouts unknown

The family of a Canadian convicted of terror charges and serving life in prison in China say Beijing has refused to tell Ottawa the prisoner’s whereabouts.

China remains silent on Burlington man's welfare

Family seeks whereabouts of jailed Chinese-Canadian activist

Family unable to locate Canadian jailed in China

China activist jailing criticised

Canada Brings Up Human Rights Issues With China

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Tortured Abroad? Forgotten At Home?

Feb 29, 2008 04:30 AM

Alex Neve
Chris MacLeod
Lorne Waldman

In three different corners of the world – China, Egypt and Ethiopia – three Canadian citizens languish in prison. Each has very likely been tortured. Each is at very real risk of being tortured again. None faces any prospect of gaining their freedom soon. All seem to have been forgotten. Each deserves more from their government.

Huseyin Celil has been in prison in China since the end of June 2006. His wife and four children in Burlington have endured anxious fear for his safety ever since. Celil is an ethnic Uighur. In the far western reaches of China a decades-old campaign of brutal repression against the Uighur people has intensified in recent years. Torture, unjust imprisonment and other abuses abound. Celil thought he had escaped to safety. But he was surreptitiously arrested and sent back to China while visiting with his wife's family in nearby Uzbekistan. He has known nothing but injustice ever since. Last year, after a blatantly unfair trial, he was sentenced to a life term in prison. He believes that the Uighur people's rights should be respected. He has been convicted of being a "splitist", a Chinese government euphemism for terrorist.

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In surprise move, China lets Celil meet sister

Imprisoned Canadian complained of lack of medical attention, Uighur-Canadian group leader says

OMAR EL AKKAD

January 4, 2008

In a rare event, Canadian citizen Huseyin Celil was allowed to meet one of his family members last week, as he continues to serve a life sentence in China.

One of Mr. Celil's sisters, Meryem, met with the imprisoned Canadian for about 20 minutes, according to Mehmet Tohti, head of the Uyghur Canadian Association. It was the first time he had talked to his sister in 13 years, Mr. Tohti said. Mr. Celil was arrested in Uzbekistan and handed over to China in 2006. He was travelling on a Canadian passport at the time.

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