The arrest of four Uyghur women from the same family in Urumqi the capital of Xinjiang, China has brought renewed international attention to the region. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that police detained a mother and her three daughters in July 2026. Authorities accused them of “supporting terrorists” because they sent ordinary goods to their relative in Turkey. However, the family says the packages contained only basic items like clothes, shoes and food meant to help a family member start a small business. The case highlights deep concerns about China’s strict surveillance, heavy controls on communication and treatment of ethnic minorities who have ties to people living abroad. While Beijing says its strict policies are necessary to fight terrorism, human rights organizations argue that these actions often target innocent civilians and destroy family lives.
A Family Business Under Investigation
The issue began with a small family effort to earn a living. Guzelnur Kamil the eldest daughter of the family moved to Turkey in 2016. To help her settle down and support her children, her mother Bahargul Tohti, suggested sending affordable goods from Urumqi that Guzelnur could sell locally.
For several years, another daughter, Guljennet Kamil, packed and sent items such as shoes, hats, seasonings and clothes using standard shipping companies. The family kept detailed records of everything they bought and shipped, including supplier details and transport receipts. They viewed the effort as an honest way to support each other across long distances.
Repeated Questioning and Arrests
Everything changed at the start of July 2026. Police in Urumqi began summoning the family for repeated questioning about the shipments. Investigators asked detailed questions about where the items came from and which transport companies carried them.
On July 4, police asked Bahargul Tohti to come to the station early in the morning. Shortly after, officers detained two of her daughters, Guljennet Kamil and Gulzeper Hekim. Guzelnur reported that police took their photos, collected blood samples, and put them in custody without explaining the exact charges. A week later, on 11July, police arrested a third daughter, Gulmira Kamil. The arrests left nearly the entire family in detention. Guzelnur expressed deep worry for her relatives, noting that one sister suffers from a disability, another is adopted and their aging mother has now been separated from all her children.
Accusations of Supporting Terrorism
Police accused the family of supporting terrorism simply because the shipments were delivered to Turkey. Guzelnur strongly denied the claims, explaining that all items were legal products supported by clear commercial paperwork. She also pointed out that the family had stopped sending packages from Xinjiang more than a year before the arrests. By that point, her business in Turkey had shifted to importing goods from Central Asia instead. Despite these facts and detailed shipping documents, investigators kept focusing on her life in Turkey, treating routine family help as a major security threat.
Past Detentions and Continuous Control
This was not the family’s first encounter with the police. Guljennet Kamil had previously been held in an internment camp from 2018 to 2020. She suffers from partial paralysis due to a past accident, raising severe concerns about her health and access to medical care while in custody. Another sister, Gulmire Kamil, had already served ten years in prison following the 2009 riots in Urumqi. After spending a decade behind bars, she now faces detention once again. Reports indicate that Guljennet was transferred to the Tianshan District Detention Center, while the status and location of her mother and sisters remain unknown.
The Broader Picture in Xinjiang
Human rights groups say this case is part of a much larger pattern in Xinjiang. Over the past decade, Chinese authorities have built a massive security network featuring facial recognition cameras, checkpoints, and strict limits on religious practices. Contact with people living outside China is heavily monitored.