A Uyghur human rights activist, who had been detained in Morocco for 43 months and faced extradition to China on terrorism-related charges, was recently released and resettled in the United States, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Idris Hasan, 36, had been held in Morocco since July 2021.
The Chinese government accused him of being affiliated with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and engaging in activities within terrorist organizations while residing in Turkey.
“I am deeply grateful to the individuals and organizations who helped me throughout this journey, especially the U.S. government,” Hasan told RFA after he arrived in Washington on Feb. 14.
The day before he traveled to the U.S., Hasan was taken to the United Nations office in Morocco, where he was accepted for resettlement. Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, welcomed him at the airport and helped him settle in the U.S.
Hasan, a former translator in Turkey who documented accounts related to Uyghurs in Xinjiang, was arrested on July 19, 2021, at Casablanca’s airport while seeking asylum in Morocco.
He was subsequently detained in a prison near Tiflet after Interpol issued a red notice to member countries seeking his capture.
Following extensive media reports, according to the same source, Interpol suspended its warrant in August 2021, citing its policy against persecution based on political, religious, or ethnic grounds.
It added that despite this development, a Moroccan court ruled in favor of China’s extradition request in December 2021.
RFA mentioned that Moroccan authorities had previously planned to release Hasan on two occasions, but the third successful attempt occurred in secret, said Abduweli Ayup, founder of the Norway-based Uyghuryar Foundation, who was involved in efforts to secure Hasan’s release.
“Quiet diplomacy proved to be effective, and no news was shared until he had left Morocco,” he told RFA.
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