Uyghur detained at 14 dies in Chinese prison at 23, RFA reports

Rahile Omer, a Uyghur woman detained at 14 whose photograph appeared in the 2022 Xinjiang Police Files, has died in prison at 23, Radio Free Asia reported Friday, citing police and judicial officials in Kashgar.

Omer, from Suluq village in Konasheher county, was detained in September 2017, held in a re-education facility and then a detention center, and sentenced in October 2021 to 12 years, RFA said. Officials placed her death one to two months ago. A police officer attributed it to heart disease but gave no medical details.

Közet could not independently verify the report. Unverified claims of her death circulated online in October; Közet cautioned at the time against treating them as confirmed.