Ehmetjan Ehet, a 42-year-old Uyghur, left behind his diplomas, an English textbook, Chinese documents, and personal items in a black bag at a Sarajevo hostel. This was his final residence before passing away at the Sarajevo Clinical Center two months ago.

Since the end of May, his body has remained in the morgue awaiting burial.

According to Uyghur activists and friends, the Chinese government is obstructing the recovery of his body, preventing Uyghur organizations from conducting a dignified burial for Ehet.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Sarajevo confirmed that “Mr. Haiti passed away from illness in Sarajevo.”

In response to inquiries from Radio Free Europe (RFE), the embassy stated, “The embassy contacted Mr. Ai Haiti’s family promptly and is providing assistance in appropriately addressing the situation.”

Who was Ehmetjan Ehet?

Ehmetjan Ehet, known as Ai Haiti in Chinese documents, worked as a teacher and guard in Uyghur camps in China from 2016 to 2021.

In May 2014, the Chinese government initiated a “Strong Strike Campaign Against Violent Terrorism” in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities.

This campaign led to the establishment of internment camps where millions of the approximate 14 million Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities endured severe human rights violations.

They were subjected to political indoctrination, forced labor, family separation, stringent birth control, and restrictions on religious freedom.

According to his friend Abduveli Ayup, a Uyghur activist and writer who shared the news of Ehet’s death on social media, Ehet was coerced into these roles.

Ajup supported Ehet during his journey to leave China and reach Turkey in 2023.

“He obtained his passport in Chengdu, traveling first to Uzbekistan, then to Istanbul where I was also present. He sought me out as we were companions. I had written works in Uyghur while in China, and he told me he had followed my writings,” Ajup recounted.

An activist chronicling the experiences of Uyghurs escaping China also documented Ehet’s story, noting that he shared his roles as a teacher and guard in two concentration camps in Xinjiang.

“He also served as an auxiliary police officer, a role established by the Chinese government post-2014 due to mass arrests and insufficient police personnel,” Ajup elaborated.

While Uyghurs face severe restrictions on movement within and outside China, Ehet’s university degree permitted him to travel to Chengdu.

“He even changed his name to make it easier for him, adapting to Chinese naming conventions,” Ajup added.

He was afraid to talk about what he saw.

The late Ehet was reluctant to discuss his experiences in China.

Ajup noted that Ehet feared public disclosure largely because his family remained in China.

“In November 2023, Uyghur organizations arranged a testimony on China’s treatment of Uyghurs in the Czech Parliament. Although Ehet participated, he only shared part of his story and declined filming due to fear. He requested asylum in the Czech Republic but was unable to secure it, prompting his return to Turkey,” Ajup stated.

Arrival in Sarajevo and death

Upon returning to Turkey, Ehet expressed his desire to seek protection from a European nation.

In April 2025, he contacted a friend to share he was in Bosnia, intending to seek asylum or move onward.

“He went off the radar for a while until I received a call on May 31 informing me of his death. The caller learned of it from a host in the same Sarajevo hostel,” Ajup recounted.

RFE/RL verified this with the Sarajevo hostel, confirming Ehet’s stay.

“He arrived sick and grew increasingly weary. I advised him to seek medical attention. In the end, another hostel guest, a Muslim from China residing in Turkey, took him to the hospital. This person later informed me that Ehet had died,” a hostel worker, who wished to remain nameless, shared.

The worker noted that Ehet left behind a bag containing a few items and banknotes from “some African country.”

Ajup confirmed Ehet had been working in Africa in recent months but did not disclose the specific country.

Unofficial sources from the Clinical Center suggested that malaria might have been the cause of death.

As of this writing, the Clinical Center has not responded to RFE/RL’s inquiries regarding the Uyghur’s circumstances and cause of death.

The World Uyghur Congress tried to take over the body

The World Uyghur Congress, representing the Uyghur diaspora in Munich, was informed of Ehmet’s passing.

They disclosed to RFE/RL that they attempted to obtain the body through a partner humanitarian organization in Sarajevo but faced resistance.

“The Chinese embassy asserted they would reclaim the body due to the Chinese passport, yet it remains in the morgue,” the World Uyghur Congress stated.

Meanwhile, numerous entities and activists are raising awareness on social media, emphasizing the urgent need for Ehet to receive an Islamic burial with dignity.

However, they fear this may prove difficult, as China appears intent on regulating aspects of Uyghur funerary customs as well.

According to Radio Free Asia, authorities have set up crematoriums or “burial management centers” in Xinjiang to cremate bodies, contradicting Muslim customs.

Unfulfilled wishes

During discussions about the future in Turkey, Ehet expressed a desire to live where “the hand of the Chinese Communist Party does not reach.”

“Sadly, as it stands, even in death, there is no peace. It seems that there is no refuge from the reach of the Chinese Communist Party,” Ajup lamented.

UN and HRW on Uyghur camps

In 2022, the United Nations released a report detailing “serious human rights violations” affecting mostly Muslim Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, linked to China’s national security and counterterrorism measures, alongside accusations of forced labor.

China has consistently asserted that the rights of all ethnic groups in the region are safeguarded and denied the allegations of forced labor, dismissing the report as “baseless” and a Western effort to contain China.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently reported that Chinese authorities severely restrict and monitor Uyghurs wanting to travel abroad, infringing upon their internationally recognized right to leave the country.

Since the onset of this crackdown, authorities have arbitrarily revoked the travel documents of Uyghurs in the region and detained individuals for merely having contact with foreign nationals. Even when passports are issued, strict controls are enforced on those traveling, HRW noted.

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