The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) issued a statement on November 7, 2024, demanding the release of Uyghur filmmaker Ikram Nurmehmet, who has been imprisoned in China under charges related to his studies in Türkiye. The ICFR emphasized that Nurmehmet’s imprisonment reveals the ongoing challenges facing Uyghur communities, countering China’s attempts to portray Uyghur life as peaceful and secure.

According to ICFR, Nurmehmet, who graduated from Marmara University in Istanbul between 2010 and 2016, was arrested at his Beijing residence and sentenced to six years and five months in prison. He has since been held in Urumqi No. 1 Prison. ICFR condemned the alleged torture he faced, claiming authorities forced a confession from Nurmehmet after detaining him in a dark cell for twenty days. The coalition urged the global film community to support calls for his release.

The charges against Nurmehmet are reportedly linked to his time studying in Türkiye, a period in which he developed as a filmmaker and directed award-winning works, including the 2020 film Elephant in the Car, which was shortlisted for the Golden Firebird Award at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. ICFR highlighted international news coverage of his case, including reports from Der Spiegel, describing China’s treatment of Nurmehmet as part of a larger trend of human rights abuses.

In response, Maya Wang, Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch’s China Program, condemned China’s long-standing “Strike Hard Campaign” against Uyghurs, which has led to the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs under politically motivated charges. Wang demanded the immediate release of Ikram Nurmehmet and others unjustly detained.

Nurmehmet remains detained with four other Uyghurs at Urumqi No. 1 Prison in East Turkestan, as his case draws international attention and calls for China to address alleged human rights violations against the Uyghur community.