Harper Angry Diplomats Missed Start of Trial for Canadian

Josh Pringle
Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants to know why there was no Canadian diplomat present at a recent court appearance for a Canadian man imprisoned in China.

Harper is insisting that Canadian diplomats in China attend future court proceedings

Senior Government Officials say diplomats in Beijing and Ottawa fumbled the ball when Huseyin Celil appeared in court last week.

Celil has been jailed at an unknown location in China for almost eight months for alleged ties to terror groups.

Canadian Finance Minister in China

China does not recognize his Canadian citizenship and Ottawa has been aggressively lobbying for his release. His family says he is being persecuted because he is a Muslim and a political dissident who fled his homeland in the 1990s.
Canada's campaign to have Celil released has angered Chinese officials, as did Canada's granting of honorary citizenship to the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.
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PM irked as diplomats miss activist's hearing

Government says Canadian diplomats in Beijing and consular officials in Ottawa fumbled the ball

JEFF SALLOT AND GEOFFREY YORK

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

OTTAWA AND BEIJING — Angered by what he believes is lack of attention to a serious human-rights case, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is demanding an explanation for why no Canadian diplomat was present at the recent court appearance of a Canadian man accused of terrorist activities.

Both Canadian diplomats in Beijing and consular officials in Ottawa fumbled the ball last week when Huseyin Celil appeared in a Chinese court, a senior government official said Monday night in Ottawa.

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Harper wants action on Burlington man in Chinese prison

The Canadian Press

TORONTO - The prime minister is angry and wants to know why there was no Canadian diplomat present at a recent court appearance for a Burlington man imprisoned in China.

A published report today quotes a senior government official saying that diplomats in both Beijing and Ottawa fumbled the ball when Huseyin Celil appeared in court last week.

Stephen Harper is insisting that Canadian diplomats in China attend future court proceedings, which opened Friday in the provincial city of Urumqi.

Diplomats say they have been frustrated by the fact that China will not recognize Celil's Canadian citizenship.

But the official says a Canadian representative should have been present for the opening of the trial as a signal of how seriously the Harper government is taking the case.

Celil, a former imam at a mosque in Hamilton, has been jailed at an unknown location in China for almost eight months for alleged ties to terror groups.

Story of Celil

Celil at the Chinese Court

Huseyin Celil was brought to trial on Friday(Feb 2, Friday) in Urumqi
for 6 hours after having kept nearly 8 month in unknown location by
China's authorities.
his mother, sisters and his son joined the trial with along secrete
service members and regional police represenatatives.

government appointed lawyer has tried to represent Mr. Celil.

soon after Court opened, Mr. Celil asked to see appointed lawyer's law
lisence to confirm wether he is a
lawyer or not. court has rejected his request.

Mr. Celil asked the court he is Canadian citizen and he wants to
have the presence Canadian personal from Embassy, lawyer with law
degree that recommended by Canadian Embassy, or his wife or at least
other Canadian HR organizations to represent him at the court.
court kep silence on his request.

during 6 hours trial, government side did not present any charges
against him interestingly.

Mr. Celil also asked the court to know, after so many months, "what is
the charge against me, and why I am detained.

court spent most of the time to ask his activities in Canada.
Mr. Celil told the court that, he was a student and busy enough to take
care of his small kids.
he said to the court in response that "I live and exercise my rights
within
the limit of Canadian Law in Canada. I attend community activities if my

time permitts, but most of the time I could not able to attend any
social
events organized by Uyghurs in Canada due to my time that spent mostly
with my kids".

Mr. Celil at the end of the court asked again that he wants to see
Canadian representatives in Beijing.

his mother and sisters described that his condition is good.
also secrete police asked if there is any pictures from Canada for his
wife and new born child.

government appointed lawyer told his mother and sister that, so far in
his understanding there is no any reason he has seen why Mr. Celil was
detained and kept in China.
according to that Lawyer, his repeated request to see the charges
against Huseyin Celil was turned down and he was hoping to see it in
the court, but no one brought up any charges against him.

instead of presenting any charges against him, prosecutors simply
started to question him what kinds of activity he has engaged in Canada
against China.


court closed after 6 hours of empity talks and said there will be other
trial soon.

information is recieved from the relatives of Mr. Celil by phone.

Uyghur Canadian Association
Democracy, Human Rights through non-violence
www.uyghurcanadian.org
info@uyghurcanadian.org

Photos of the Last Protest

Photos of the December 10th Protesting Rally in front of Chinese Embassy in Toronto
>>to see all click on the picture or link

Map of Chinese Consulate in Toronto

240 St. George Street, Toronto

A RALLY FOR HUSEYINCAN CELIL AND ALL OTHER ABUSED PEOPLE BY CHINA ON THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY DECEMBER 10

A RALLY FOR HUSEYINCAN CELIL AND ALL OTHER ABUSED PEOPLE BY CHINA ON THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY DECEMBER 10
JOIN THE RALLY IN FRONT OF THE CHINESE CONSULANT GENERAL DEC 10TH BETWEEN 02:00-04:00 PM

This coming sunday is the International Human Rights Day. Human Righs Organizaions will be demonstrating and expressing their selected subjects on that very they. Especially in Toronto there will be many events scheduled.
On the same day and one of the scheduled event is a Rally in front of the Chinese Consulant General in Toronto for Our Brother Celil and other oppressed ones by the support of Uyghur Canadian Association and Amnesty Canada.

Please take your time and join the actions

Thousands of Canadians write to protect human rights with no exceptions in Amnesty International’s global Write-a-thon

Thousands of Canadians write to protect human rights with no exceptions in Amnesty International’s global Write-a-thon

Thousands of Canadians will be writing together to promote human rights as part of Amnesty International's global writeathon on or around December 10, International Human Rights Day. Amnesty International members and supporters in Canada will be holding more than 700 Write for Rights events across the country, with a goal to surpass last year's target of 20,000 letters.

Saturday December 9
Toronto, ON - Amnesty’s Toronto office at 14 Dundonald Street is hosting an open house from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Former prisoner of conscience, Uyghur Rabiya Kadeer will hold a brief press conference about her three sons’ arrest in China and Uyghur-Canadian Husseyin Celil’s case. Listen to stimulating speakers, write letters and meet Amnesty supporters.

We Thank All The Contributers On Recent Petition

We would like to thank all the contributors for the recent petition. Your efforts on this respectful subject were remarkable.
We all know that writing and complaining to the authorities are one of our tools for the cause of our Brother Celil and with the help of Allah the whole petition project worked well.
We have collected signatures form in Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Mississauga and Burlington. Especially our thanks to our Brothers and Sisters in Burlington area with their contributions we have collected over 1200 signatures.

Touching Off Our China Crisis

A Canadian dissident in jail puts stress on our $35-billion relationship

CHARLIE GILLIS

On a warm Friday last March, after a hearty breakfast of fish cakes and salad, Huseyin Celil climbed into a car for a ride across the pockmarked streets of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Then, in the midst of a family visit with his wife's relatives, the 38-year-old from Burlington, Ont., was off to a nearby passport office to extend the family's tourist visas -- an errand that shouldn't have taken more than an hour. So he left with few parting words, waving to his wife Kamila Telendibaeva and kissing his children before setting off down the road.

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Mr. Harper Finally Acts And Defends Huseyincan Celil

Considerably Good News

Since Huseyincan Celil’s detention, Prime Minister Mr. Harper defends Husyincan Celil in political arena first time and meets with the Chinese President Hu Jintao. We consider this act of our Prime Minister is just accurate and respectable. We are hoping in the near future that we can assure Celil’s wellbeing and eventually his safe return to Canada.

Some recent news coverage’s are below

PM's push on Celil cheers family

Canadian Press Photos Prime Minister Stephen Harper And Hu Jintao

Top of the World

The Canadian Press
TORONTO (Nov 20, 2006)

It was brief and unofficial. But the meeting between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Chinese counterpart is an "important first step," say those fighting for the release of a Burlington man jailed in China.

Chris MacLeod, a lawyer representing the family of Chinese-Canadian Huseyin Celil, centre photo, said Harper's commitment to address the issue with Chinese President Hu Jintao, at right, shows Canada won't tolerate China's disregard for international law or its poor treatment of Canadian citizens.

Celil was arrested while visiting relatives with his wife and children in Uzbekistan last March, and was extradited to his native China in June. His family fears he could face the death penalty for his activism on behalf of China's minority Uighur population.

Neither his family nor Canadian officials have heard anything about Celil since his arrest.

Harper wouldn't discuss Hu's reaction to Celil's case, but a Chinese official told Canadian reporters that it's his country's perspective that Celil is Chinese, even though he has officially renounced that citizenship.

Kamila Telendibaeva, Celil's wife and the mother of his four children, was hoping for more answers regarding his incarceration, health and ultimately the timeline for his release. But she was still thankful Harper brought up the subject.

China has signed the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, but has been criticized for failing to live up to its obligations, which include notifying Canada if it has detained one of its citizens, allowing access to that person and providing him with legal representation and a fair and transparent trial.

Harper's tough talk on China not a surprise

He's for morality
in foreign affairs

Nov. 18, 2006. 01:00 AM

THOMAS WALKOM

Morality in politics is two-edged. If enough people agree with the principled stand a politician makes, he is a hero. If they do not, he is a fool. This is the curious position in which Prime Minister Stephen Harper finds himself after his blunt (critics would say impolitic) criticisms of China for jailing a man from Burlington named Huseyincan Celil.Celil was born and raised in the Xinjiang region of China. He's also a member of China's Uyghur minority, a Muslim Central Asian.Friends call him a political activist. China calls him a terrorist. In the '90s, he was arrested and spent time in jail. His crime, according to his lawyer Chris MacLeod, was to illegally teach children the Uyghur language. Using a false Turkish passport, he fled China for neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, eventually ending up in Turkey where he obtained United Nations status as a refugee.In 2001, he came to Canada. Last year, he became a Canadian citizen. This spring, he travelled on his brand-new Canadian passport to Uzbekistan, also in Central Asia, to visit his in-laws.There, he was arrested, on no particular charge, and extradited to China — where he was sentenced to 15 years in jail on charges of murder and terrorism. His family and friends say the charges are invented. Human rights groups like Amnesty International say Celil's experiences match those of other Uyghurs who have suffered persecution for trying to exercise basic civil rights.As Celil languished in jail, civil libertarians lambasted the Harper government for failing to press Beijing harder for his release.So, this week, it seems, Harper did. He told Canadian reporters travelling with him to an economic summit in Vietnam that Canada values the freedom of its citizens more than it values trade. If that led China's President Hu Jintao to snub him at the summit (which appeared to be the case at the time), he said, then so be it."(Canadians) don't want us to sell that out to the almighty dollar," the Prime Minister said.At one level, Harper's interest in a Uyghur from Burlington might seem odd. To many Canadians, the Conservatives are the party of the almighty dollar.Certainly a lot of those with dollars think so. Harper's words have earned reprimands from many of his party's natural allies in the business world, who worry that anything other than the smoothest political relationship with Beijing could interfere with their plans to make scads of money from China.Even Harper's home province isn't pleased. "This is a misstep by the prime minister," Alberta's Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Gary Mar told one newspaper, noting that Harper's comments might hurt the tourist trade.Yet, in a more fundamental way Harper's position on the Celil case is consistent with his approach to all foreign relations. Even before becoming Conservative leader, he talked of the need to reintroduce morality into foreign affairs. "The emerging debates on foreign affairs should be fought on moral grounds," he wrote in 2003. "Modern liberals ... are trapped in their framework of moral neutrality, moral relativism and moral equivalence. But conservatives should have answers."Those particular lines were written to justify Harper's belief, written around the time of the invasion of Iraq, that Canada should hew rigorously to the position of U.S. President George W. Bush as he tried to remake the Middle East.In hindsight, they also signalled his current unbending position on Canada's involvement in Afghanistan. As Harper wrote then, morality in foreign affairs demands that countries choose sides, support their allies to the end and put real military force behind that commitment.All of which is to say that those who applaud the Prime Minister's unwillingness to sacrifice a Canadian from Burlington for trade must understand that this stubborn sensibility defines his approach to just about everything in the realm of foreign affairs — from the Israeli invasion of Lebanon to Canada's relationship with the U.S.To Harper, countries that share Canada's moral principles, such as Israel and the U.S., deserve unconditional support. Those that do not — like China —must be treated with suspicion. Is this laudable? In Celil's case, the answer is surely yes. Harper is supporting a Canadian citizen who was, in effect, kidnapped abroad.Still, it would be interesting to know what Harper would have done had Uzbekistan extradited alleged terrorist Celil not to China but to the U.S. prison camp at Guantánamo Bay. Which of his principles would have held then?

http://www.canada.com/findit/search/site/index.html?q=celil&p=9

Canada's PM gets his 15 mins with Chinese leader

Sun Nov 19, 2006 7:10 AM EST

y Darren Schuettler

HANOI (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper finally got his 15 minutes with Chinese President Hu Jintao, ending a mini-controversy over whether they would meet during an Asia-Pacific summit.

The 15-minute chat occurred just before a gala dinner on Saturday for the leaders of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Hanoi.

"President Hu approached me at the reception prior to dinner last night," Harper told reporters on Sunday, although he gave few details of their "very frank" discussion.

In the runup to the summit, Canadian media had said Hu refused a request for a meeting with Harper, who has been an outspoken critic of China's human rights record.

Beijing later denied the snub.

"It was quite a brief one," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said of the pre-dinner chat, adding there had been no plans for a more formal sit-down meeting.

Since winning power in January, Harper's Conservative government has been a frequent critic of China's rights record.

Canada is concerned with the case of Huseyincan Celil, a Canadian citizen and human rights activist who fled China in the 1990s and who is being held in a Chinese prison for alleged terrorism links.

Liu said the case was discussed by the leaders who reiterated their positions. China considers Huseyincan a Chinese citizen.

In another potential strain to ties, Ottawa declined to renew the visa of a Chinese diplomat who was reported to have spied on followers of the Falun Gong religious sect in Canada.

In September, Canada granted honorary citizenship in September to the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader and a sworn enemy of Beijing for his opposition to Chinese Communist rule in the remote, mountainous territory.

Do not forget Our Brother Huseyincan Celil in your Du'as.

In this Holy Month, Ramadan, all our du'as is very effective and acceptable by Allah Teala with his permission of course... Please do remember our Brother in your du'as.
May Allah protect him from the Chinese oppressors and save him from them! Ameen

Have you seen this site?

China entered the twentieth century as the remains of an empire fragmented and crushed under pressure from especially Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Russia. After imperial rule had been overthrown, no powerful central authority was established for decades. When the Communist Party came to power in 1949, China soon turned into a state of fear. That process cost the lives of tens of millions of people because of the repressive and totalitarian methods the communists used to enforce their bloody ideology. The Chinese Communist Party resorted to violence to remain in power, and implemented one of the most savage and ruthless form of communism ever, enforcing one single way of living and thinking for the entire Chinese people. Throughout that period, those who refused to abide by the rules of their communist leaders were ruthlessly exterminated
http://www.eastturkestan.net/

China jails Burlington man 15 years - Unconfirmed News

By Christine Cox
The Hamilton Spectator
BURLINGTON (Sep 12, 2006)

Kamila Telendibaeva has received unconfirmed word that her husband, Muslim activist Huseyin Celil, has been sentenced to 15 years in a Chinese prison.

Celil, 37, is a Canadian citizen accused by the Chinese of being a terrorist. He was arrested in Uzbekistan in March 2006 and extradited to China in June.

Telendibaeva says Chinese police told her husband's sister that he was tried last month and received a 15-year sentence. Telendibaeva doesn't know if it's true or not, because she's heard nothing from Canadian officials.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Marie-Christine Lilkoff said the government is aware of the reports but does not have confirmation. She said there are ongoing communications with the Chinese government about the case "and we are making every effort to obtain consular access to Mr. Celil."

Telendibaeva, who gave birth last month to the couple's fourth child, plans to go to Ottawa to urge the Canadian government to take action.

"They are not doing anything for my husband," she said yesterday. "He's a Canadian, he was travelling on a Canadian passport. I'm very nervous. It's been almost four months and we don't have any news (from the government) about my husband ... They have to see him, they have to get access to him."

Celil had championed the cause of the Muslim Uyghur people.

Mohamed Tohti, president of the Uyghur Canadian Association, said the charges against Celil are bogus.

Tohti considers the information relayed by Celil's sister credible. He said Chinese police told her that Celil was being held in Bajianghu jail, a famous political jail in Urumqi. It's the first time since his extradition that Celil's exact location in China has been revealed.

Tohti said the Chinese deliberately released the information through a third party, rather than through the Canadian government.

"They ignored Canada from the beginning ... they denied his citizenship," Tohti said.

ccox@thespec.com

905-526-3323

Harper's parliamentary secretary, Jason Kenney, has long been an outspoken critic of China's human rights record. He is also trying to get action on t

Chamber of Commerce urges government to engage more with China

Jennifer Ditchburn
September 12, 2006 - 4:03 p.m.

OTTAWA (CP) - The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is urging the Conservative government to improve its commercial ties with China, just as relations with the economic giant have hit a rough patch under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Harper's parliamentary secretary, Jason Kenney, has long been an outspoken critic of China's human rights record. He is also trying to get action on the case of Huseyincan Celil, a Canadian citizen who is being held in a Chinese cell on terror charges.

While the chamber's report on Canada-China relations steers well clear of criticizing Harper's approach, it calls for an enhancement across the board in bilateral trade and investment as well as the appointment of a senior official to deal specifically with China.

"Policy decisions affecting China cannot be taken in isolation from their impact on trade and investment and are best dealt with through ongoing senior-level engagement between both countries," reads the report, released Tuesday in advance of the chamber's annual general meeting this weekend.

Detainee in China isn't aware of his new son

Ted Brellisford, the Hamilton Spectator From left, Badrudin Celil watches his baby brother Zubayir as their mother, Kamila Telendibaeva, looks on.

By Christine Cox
The Hamilton Spectator
BURLINGTON (Aug 25, 2006)

Kamila Telendibaeva is thrilled with her newborn son, but wishes desperately that her husband, Huseyin Celil, could be there to share her joy.

Telendibaeva gave birth to the couple's fourth child Wednesday at McMaster University Medical Centre. Her husband is languishing in a jail in China, where authorities say he's on trial for terrorist activities. Celil is a political dissident who had championed the cause of the Muslim Uyghur people.

Canadian officials have not had access to him in China and Celil, 37, doesn't even know he's a father again. Telendibaeva said her son weighed 3.5 kilos and will be named Zubayir.

"I am very happy that he's healthy, he's normal, but I feel very sad that my husband wasn't there with me at the hospital," she said yesterday. "I was missing my husband."

She said her other three children are pleased their little brother is home "and are playing around the baby."

Telendibaeva hasn't seen her husband since last spring. He was arrested in Uzbekistan in March and subsequently extradited to China, although he was travelling on a Canadian passport.

Celil's lawyer, Chris MacLeod, is not sure if a trial has actually begun or not. He wonders if there was a translation error in a statement that suggested it was under way.

MacLeod said the Chinese would be breaching international obligations if they didn't tell Canadian officials what the charges were and that the trial had started. He continues to press for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to send a special envoy to Beijing to look into the Celil case.

"I think it's important," MacLeod said yesterday.

Ottawa says it has had an assurance that China will not seek the death penalty for Celil. His wife does not think he will be killed, but fears he may be tortured.

ccox@thespec.com

905-526-3323

China denies imminent execution of Uighur-Canadian

WE HOPE THAT THIS NEWS IS TRUTHFUL OTHER THEN THE NEWS THAT CLAIMS HIS IMMEDIATE EXECUTION ON AUGUST 10

Reuters

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

BEIJING (Reuters) - China denied on Wednesday a report that it was about to execute a Uighur-Canadian activist it accuses of terrorism, saying his trial was not yet over.

China has waged a harsh campaign in recent years against what it says are violent separatists and Islamic extremists pressing for an independent nation of "East Turkestan" in its far-northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighurs account for 8 million of the 19 million people in Xinjiang.

Huseyincan Celil, who fled China in the 1990s, was due to be executed on or before Thursday for "separatist or terrorist activities," Amnesty International said in an emailed statement.

China accuses Huseyincan of taking part in a terrorist attack on a government delegation in Xinjiang in 2000 and of murdering a Uighur in Kyrgyzstan, an Uzbek news agency said in June.

Huseyincan, 37, was arrested in Uzbekistan in March and was extradited in June to China, which refused to recognize his Canadian citizenship obtained last year, London-based Amnesty said.

"Huseyincan is a Chinese citizen suspected of having taken part in East Turkestan terrorist activities," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

"The case is being handled according to law and no verdict has been reached yet," he said in a prepared brief statement read to Reuters by telephone.

Canada has tried to obtain further information on Huseyincan's case from China but has been unsuccessful, Amnesty said.

China to execute Burlington man who championed Muslim state

By Christine Cox
The Hamilton Spectator
BURLINGTON (Aug 9, 2006)

Amnesty International fears that Huseyin Celil, a Burlington man held in a Chinese jail, could be executed by tomorrow.

The organization has unconfirmed reports that Celil, 37, will be put to death for alleged terrorist activities.

Celil's wife, Kamila Telendibaeva, clings to the belief that it can't happen. Celil's sister tearfully called from China last week saying a police officer had told her Celil would be killed Aug. 10, but Canadian officials told Telendibaeva that the Chinese government said it wasn't true.

Telendibaeva hasn't seen her husband since he was arrested in Uzbekistan while they were visiting her family. Celil, a political dissident who came to Canada as a refugee, was arrested on a warrant from China. He had been sentenced to death in absentia in China.

He had championed the cause of the Muslim Uygur people in northwest Xinjiang province, an area taken over by the Chinese more than 50 years ago.

Every day Telendibaeva's three children ask her "Where's Daddy?" Telendibaeva, who is due to give birth to her fourth child Aug. 20, tells them he is coming back soon.

In reality, she is very frightened for his safety.

"I hope and I pray for good news," the soft-spoken woman says as she sits on a sofa in her modestly furnished townhouse.

"I am thinking all the time about my husband."

She rejects the possibility that he could be executed, but she worries that the Chinese authorities may torture him or mistreat him in some way.

"They can give him some medicine, some injections," she said. "They can hurt him and he can lose his health."

What frustrates her most is the lack of information. The Canadian government does not know where he's being detained.

Ambra Dickie, a Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said yesterday there are ongoing communications between the Canadian government and the Chinese government regarding Celil. Canada has formally requested information on Celil's exact whereabouts and is seeking immediate consular access.

"We continue to make every effort to confirm Mr. Celil's well-being and to ensure he is afforded due process and that his rights are protected, she said. "Chinese authorities continue to maintain that they will not seek the death penalty."

Dickie said Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay is following the case very closely.

Telendibaeva's Hamilton lawyer, Chris MacLeod, said Prime Minister Stephen Harper needs to send a special envoy to Beijing whose sole mission is to deal with the Celil case. MacLeod also thinks Canada should send a strong message by recalling its ambassador to China.

MacLeod said China has failed to meet its obligations under the Geneva Convention, including consular access, telling Canada what the charges are against Celil, and ensuring that there is a fair trial if the charges are legitimate.

Canada gave Celil refugee status to protect him from his persecutors, but now he's in their hands, the lawyer said. "They scooped him from a third country while he was travelling on a Canadian passport ... In light of China's track record, you cannot help but be concerned."

McMaster University professor John Colarusso considers Celil's chances of surviving are "pretty slim." Colarusso said the Uygur separatist movement is fairly strong in western China and China might execute Celil as an example, although that would make him a martyr for the Uygurs. Some countries don't care about Canadian passports if a person has dual citizenship, he said.

Telendibaeva said Celil doesn't have a Chinese passport because China doesn't give them to Uygurs, and that he did not know it would be dangerous to visit Uzbekistan.

Beth Berton-Hunter, an Amnesty International spokesperson, said the organization has put out an Urgent Action call.

It is urging human rights supporters everywhere to appeal to Chinese authorities on Celil's behalf, including faxing the ambassador to Canada, Lu Shumin (613-789-1911).

Amnesty International says the death penalty is used extensively and often arbitrarily in China.

At least 1,770 people were executed and 3,900 sentenced to death last year. Amnesty International has documented several cases of Uygurs being executed for alleged separatist or terrorist activities.

ccox@thespec.com

905-526-3323

Timeline

1998

1998 -- Huseyin Celil flees China for Uzbekistan and later Turkey.

2001 -- Huseyin Celil and his wife Kamila Telendibaeva arrive in Canada as political refugees.

2005 -- They receive Canadian citizenship.

March 27, 2006 -- Celil arrested in Uzbekistan.

June 2006 -- Celil quietly deported to China from Uzbekistan.

August 2006 -- Unconfirmed reports that Celil will be executed Aug. 10.