World Bulletin / News Desk

Authorities in northwestern China’s Xinjiang region have released the son of exiled Uyghur leader Rabia Khadeer'son from prison after he was sentenced in 2007 and served a nine-year prison sentence for “instigating and engaging in secessionist activities” related to an article that had published online.

The proceedings that took place in a closed hearing, claims that Abdureyim had allegedley confessed to the charges. His family said that there was no crie to confess to but that this confession would only have been done under torture and duress.

His mother Rabia Kadir expressed her happiness “My son came out alive, and for that I am happy … and these past few days have been like a festival in our home. I believe this is due to the concern shown by the international community and rights organizations, as well as pressure from western governments on Beijing,” she said.

Rabia Kadir is the president of the Munich based World Uyghur Congress and both her and her family have been a target of the Chinese government. Kadir was arested in 1999 after allegedley endangering the Chinese state security, however was deported in 2005 to the US due to health conditions.

Kadir never relented in the case for Uyghur rights and after being selected as President of the World Uyghur Congress, was threatened by Chinese authorities, that if she dared to speak up, her family and businesses would be "finished".