Arrival of the Uyghur student’s wife, “Bilal Abdel-Karim,” and her four children to Canada
The Egyptian Commission is calling for the resettlement of members of the Uyghur minority in Egypt
Mrs. Baltimo Abdel Aziz, wife of Bilal Abdel Karim, arrived in Canada, as part of the resettlement procedures, along with her four children, after 8 years that she and her husband had spent in Egypt.
The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms has submitted a request to resettle Uyghur families in Egypt for fear of further violations.
On August 10, Chinese Uighur citizen Bilal Abdul Karim arrived in Canada as part of the resettlement process.
On 21 March, security forces arrested Bilal Abdul Karim in front of his house and confiscated his passport, while his wife presented an UNHCR asylum seeker registration card. However, the police did not provide any information about his arrest or whereabouts.
About 7 days after his arrest and detention in an unknown location, he appeared at the Nasr City Prosecution, which interrogated him in connection with Case No. 1193 of 2023 (Nasr City Misdemeanors), after accusing him of “illegal trade in foreign currency outside the banking market and at black market prices.”
On March 28, the prosecution decided to release Abdel Karim on bail of EGP 100,000, but he was unable to pay it, and remained in detention until June 26, 2023. Nasr City Misdemeanor Court of Appeal released him on bail of EGP 30,000, a decision that the prosecution appealed, but the court rejected the appeal on 27 and upheld the release decision.
After paying the bail, UNHCR decided to resettle him in Canada, where he arrived on the morning of August 10, after 7 days of disappearance and more than 170 days of pretrial detention.
The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms stresses the need for the Egyptian authorities to stop practicing any violations or restrictions on the Uyghur minority in Egypt, respect the laws and international conventions signed thereto, which prevent any illegal detention or return of any asylum seeker to his country of origin, and commit to providing them with safety.
