Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

Uyghur Scholar’s Unjust Imprisonment Continues

Ghojanyaz Yollugh Tekin was sentenced to prison in China, for providing academic research and teaching on the subject of Uyghur linguistics.

Read more here, on Radio Free Asia

May 22, 2026

President Xi Jinping
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie
Xichengqu
Beijing Shi 100017
People’s Republic of China

Dear President Xi,

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

We are writing to you a second time regarding our concern for the whereabouts and health of the prisoner, Ghojanyaz Yollugh Tekin. Tekin was a leading academic in Uyghur linguistics, conducting both research and teaching on the subject. His 2017 arrest was based on his academic research and writings concerning the Uyghur identity. In 2018, he was sentenced to prison for academic work. It is reported that he has faced forms of abuse such as harassment by guards, before and during his imprisonment.

There is currently no access to information on Tekin’s location. Likewise, very little is known about his health status. It is doubtful that he has had any communication with his family. We are deeply concerned about this lack of current information.

We are anxious to receive information about Tekin, and we request that he is afforded conditions consistent with international standards of treatment.

Ultimately, we hope that you release Mr. Tekin.

Sincerely,

Joel L. Lebowitz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

CC:
Marco Rubio
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Ambassador David Perdue
Ambassador to China
U.S. Embassy
Beijing 55
Anjialou Road
Beijing, China, 100600

Honorable Xie Feng
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
3505 International Place, NW
Washington, DC 20008

Honorable António Guterres
Secretary-General of the United Nations
United Nations Headquarters
405 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017

Honorable Volker Türk
High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais Wilson
52 Rue des Pâquis
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

Myles Axton, Chief Editor, Genetics and Genomics Next

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

David Gross, University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Giorgio Parisi, Roma I University La Sapienza

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, New England Biolabs*

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Former Honorary Board Members

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deseased) Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser (deceased), Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy (deceased), University of Pittsburgh

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

Louis Nirenberg (deceased), New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Myriam Sarachick (deceased), City College of New York

Harold Scheraga (deceased), Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Steven Weinberg (deceased), University of Texas, Austin*

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

CONTACT

Edyta Greer
Executive Director
P.O. Box 112
New York, NY 10159
emgreer@concernedscientists.org