Idris Hasan, a 36-year-old Uyghur activist, has been released from detention in Morocco after being threatened with extradition to China. He was arrested in July 2021 and had been held for 43 months. China accused him of terrorism, claiming he was a member of the “Islamic Movement of Eastern Turkestan” and had participated in “terrorist activities” while living in Türkiye.
Background of the Case
Hasan had arrived in Morocco seeking asylum after living and working as a translator in Türkiye. However, upon his arrival at Casablanca airport, he was arrested and taken to Tifelt prison. This was after Interpol issued a red notice against him. In August 2021, Interpol withdrew the international arrest warrant, but a Casablanca court still approved his extradition to China later that year.
A Long-Awaited Release
The situation took a turn for the better when Hasan was finally released and allowed to resettle in the United States. Upon his arrival in Washington on February 14, he expressed his gratitude to those who had helped him, especially the US government. “I am deeply grateful to the people and organizations that have helped me on this trip, especially to the United States government,” he told Radio Free Asia. Omer Kanat, the executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, was at the airport to receive him. The day before his departure from Morocco, Hasan was taken to the UN office, where his resettlement in the US was formally accepted. His release marks the end of a long and challenging period, during which he faced the very real threat of extradition to China.