Zeynure Hasan, a 31-year-old Uyghur woman living in Istanbul, faced a harrowing ordeal after her husband Idris was arrested in Morocco in July 2021. Idris, 37, had fled Chinese repression in Xinjiang and settled in Turkey, but his attempt to escape to Morocco led to his detention and threatened deportation to China.
Idris was detained upon arrival in Casablanca and told he would be sent back to China, where Uyghurs face imprisonment in re-education camps and torture. Zeynure, who had stayed behind with their three children, received a call from her husband pleading for help before the line went dead.
Under pressure from Beijing, which had issued a red notice through Interpol, Idris was held in Morocco. Zeynure’s parents in Xinjiang, under police supervision, urged her to remain silent. Instead, she began speaking out publicly, using social media to campaign for her husband’s release.
After a long battle, Idris was freed and reunited with his family in Turkey. Zeynure’s activism, which she credits with saving his life, highlights the risks Uyghurs face even in exile as China extends its influence globally.
