Ruzi Mamat and Aysham Kerim, both ethnic Uighurs, were detained on 11 May, according to reliable sources, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China. It is not known why they were detained, but both are former employees of the recently freed prisoner of conscience Rebiya Kadeer. Karima and Shu Shao Chan, who work for the Bank of China and were involved in giving a loan to Kadeer’s family, have since been reportedly detained. Amnesty International fears that all are at risk of torture or ill-treatment.
