Uyghur Academy Press Release
UYGHUR ACADEMY PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2026, 09:00 AM EST
The Expulsion of a Uyghur Scholar: Malaysia’s Concession to Beijing
The detention and subsequent expulsion of American scholar Abdulhakim Idris on March 30, 2026, by the Malaysian government—reportedly under direct pressure from Beijing—highlights a deeply troubling trend. Such actions against a U.S. citizen underscore the Chinese government’s increasingly aggressive use of international intimidation.
Abdulhakim Idris, a U.S. citizen and Executive Director of the Center for Uyghur Studies, was detained for 21 hours and deported by Malaysian authorities at Beijing’s behest. He was traveling to lead awareness events exposing China’s genocide against the Uyghur people and to launch the Bahasa edition of his book, Menace: China’s Colonization of the Islamic World and Uyghur Genocide. Despite facing death threats and the detention of family members back home, Abdulhakim Idris continues his advocacy to expose CCP influence in the Islamic world.
This incident represents a textbook case of China’s escalating transnational repression aimed at silencing the Uyghur diaspora community. Abdulhakim Idris has been a frequent target of such coordinated harassment.
“The extrajudicial targeting of a U.S. citizen in Malaysia, orchestrated at the direction of the CCP, signals a dangerous expansion of China’s global intimidation tactics,” stated Dr. Rishat Abbas, President of Uyghur Academy International. “By subverting local governance to silence a Uyghur American scholar, Beijing is actively eroding the principles of international diplomacy and the protection afforded by sovereign citizenship. This should serve as an urgent warning that no individual—regardless of nationality—is immune to Beijing’s campaign of transnational repression.”
Uyghur Academy International urgently calls upon the global academic community, national governments, and international human rights bodies to formally denounce the CCP’s expanding architecture of transnational repression. The targeting of scholars like Abdulhakim Idris demonstrates that academic freedom and the safety of researchers are increasingly at risk when sovereign states yield to authoritarian pressure. We must act collectively to fortify the protections for researchers and advocates before the global space for truth and objective inquiry is permanently eroded.
Please see the detailed report from the Freedom House on Abdulhakim Idris’s appalling experience at the Kuala
About Uyghur Academy International
Uyghur Academy International is a global network of Uyghur scholars, researchers, and intellectuals, with branches and affiliated initiatives across multiple countries. The organization is committed to advancing Uyghur studies and defending Uyghur identity, cultural continuity, and intellectual heritage in the face of systematic repression.
At a time when the Uyghur people are subjected to ongoing atrocities, including crimes against humanity and genocide, Uyghur Academy International actively promotes rigorous academic research, amplifies global awareness, and challenges efforts to silence independent scholarship. Through international collaboration, publications, and advocacy, the organization works to hold perpetrators accountable, safeguard academic freedom, and mobilize the global community to confront injustice.
Uyghur Academy International is equally dedicated to cultivating the next generation of Uyghur intellectual leaders, ensuring that Uyghur voices, scholarship, and truth endure despite attempts at erasure.
Freedom House Report on this Event: https://freedomhouse.org/article/detained-denied-deported-how-chinese-authorities-attempted-silence-uyghur-scholar-and
