Zhengis Reskhan (杰恩斯·热斯汉), a prominent Kazakh writer from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has been detained since 19 March 2026 following months of repeated police interrogations. Since he was taken away, his family has received no official notification of his detention, legal status or the reasons for his detention, and has had no contact with him. According to his son, the authorities have verbally accused him of “promoting extremist thought” and “holding extremist thoughts” but have provided no formal charges or legal documents. His family, both in China and abroad, has also reportedly been subjected to surveillance and intimidation. Unless there is sufficient credible and admissible evidence that Zhengis Reskhan has committed an internationally recognized criminal offence, he should be immediately released.
