Thread by @lukedepulford

The @TribunalUyghur is starting soon.

In his introduction, Sir Geoffrey Nice reveals that two advisory lawyers and one witness withdrew from the Tribunal as a result of sanctions placed upon the Tribunal by the PRC.

-8000 hours of analysis already undertaken.
-Tribunal only considering crimes against humanity and genocide.
-PRC and many other governments invited to provide evidence. All declined, except UK which merely pointed the Tribunal to evidence in the public domain.

First witness. 40-50 inmates to a room in the camp where she was held. Inmates forced to crawl in and out of the door on hands and knees. “Treated worse than dogs”. The guards “enjoyed” their humiliation. Inmates were allowed a maximum of 3 toilet breaks per day of 1 min each.

Witness says she saw the death of a woman in the camps from constant bleeding.

Extremely graphic testimony of sexual abuse within the camps, followed by description of the policy whereby witness had to have a man in her family home, who she says harassed her in front of her husband.

Witness says all detainees were known by their numbers. Nobody was hailed by their name.

Below showing notice which she says was handed to them instructing them to turn up for sterilisation procedures. Witness says hers was in May 2019.

Witness described harassment from PRC police, showing a picture, and says that yesterday a video was released featuring the former school secretary where she says she taught, claiming that she never taught there at all, and that she never had a sterilisation procedure.

Next witness asked to explain disappearances from cells in his written testimony. He says the healthy and strong men were the ones who didn’t return. Describes 5 different types of torture, including “water prison” - submerging victims to the neck in water and suspending them.

Witness requests to show how he was chained for over seven months. Upon questioning, says he bought the chains in Turkey.

Witness describes having to go to hospital for a medical exam, and fearing that he would have an organ extracted. Says no evidence was provided to him in support of his detention for suspected organisation of terrorist or separatist activities.

For those following, witness statements (upon which they’re being questioned) available here: uyghurtribunal.com/statements/

Witness speaking about signing condition for his release. Conditions included agreeing to keep silence on pain of being unable to see his family again. Witness says his father died in a camp and his sister, mother and brother have been branded terrorists since he spoke out.

Asked to speak of torture, witness breaks down. Says that he personally was subjected to the tiger chair and hung from his arms and beaten, including on the soles of his feet.

Now @UyghurJustice giving evidence on general trends in the region. 530 detention facilities, 232 re-education camps, 257 prisons.

One of the most controversial and disputed aspects of the #Uyghur crisis: family separation. @UyghurJustice explaining limitations of the evidence, but displaying what they say are verified images of missing children, separated from their parents.

Next witness who says her children were apprehended by PRC police when trying to leave the country to join her in Sweden.

Witness in some distress as she holds up pictures of her family, which she says were detained after having been designated a “political” family.

Have to leave now. Will resume tomorrow. Meanwhile, you can follow here: