A truck driver from Kazakhstan was recently detained by Chinese authorities after entering Xinjiang, and has been missing for a week. His family has sought assistance from the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Consulate General in Almaty, but has not received any response so far. Human rights organizations are concerned that the man may have been secretly sentenced.
On July 22, 2025, Alinur Turhanbay, a Kazakh man, was taken away by Chinese border or national security personnel while attempting to enter China through the Doralta port in Xinjiang. It is reported that Alinur was originally a Chinese citizen, obtained Kazakh nationality around 2018, and worked as a truck driver shuttling between China and Kazakhstan. His family revealed that Alinur was taken by the Chinese authorities under the pretext of “invalid documents,” and there has been no communication since.
Serikzhan Bilash, founder of the Kazakhstan human rights organization “Atazhul Volunteer Organization,” told Epoch Times that Alinur’s wife suspects that the detention is related to a complaint she submitted to the organization earlier. The complaint mentioned three Kazakh friends who were sentenced to 15 to 18 years in prison by the Chinese authorities in 2018 for participating in religious activities and mosque affairs. Serikzhan mentioned that Alinur’s family tried to seek help through Kazakhstan’s diplomatic channels but did not receive a tangible response.
Alinur’s wife, Gulidarriya Xilizati, told reporters, “On July 22, my two daughters and I entered China from the Khorgos border, while my husband drove the truck through the Doralta border. Later, a friend called me and told me that my husband had been arrested. I was worried about myself, and immediately returned to Kazakhstan with my children from the Khorgos border and sought help from Bekezhati, a staff member of the Atazhul Volunteer Organization.”
Her eldest daughter, Peiyile, submitted a written statement to human rights organizations on July 24, urging to find out the whereabouts of her father. In her statement, she wrote, “I appeal to all relevant human rights organizations and law enforcement agencies to help uncover the truth, protect my father’s legal rights and personal safety.”
In recent years, there have been frequent arrests of Kazakh people in China’s Xinjiang region, attracting international attention. Since November 2024, more than 30 Kazakh individuals in Urumqi and Ili, Xinjiang, have been arrested on charges of “treason” or “subversion of state,” including government officials, journalists, writers, scholars, and even leading to the near shutdown of the Kazakh-language section of the Xinjiang Daily.
In addition, in 2019, nine Kazakh police officers in Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County were detained by Chinese public security for allegedly favoring their own ethnic group in handling a dispute between herders and Han Chinese, and their situation remains unclear.
Serikzhan emphasized that in recent years, many Kazakh people have moved to Kazakhstan to escape persecution, but even after obtaining foreign citizenship, returning to China still poses a risk of being arrested. He called on the governments of both China and Kazakhstan, as well as the international community, to closely monitor the case of Alinur and demand China to disclose his place of detention and legal status.
“The Chinese authorities frequently arrest Kazakh people who have obtained Kazakh nationality to intimidate ethnic minorities overseas and prevent them from criticizing the Chinese government,” added Serikzhan.
As of now, the situation of Alinur’s detention remains unclear, and his family continues to appeal for international intervention and assistance.