A report by German news outlet Der Spiegel states that a former Chinese police officer from Xinjiang, identified as Zhang Yabo, defected during a tour in Germany in 2025 and has since publicly described alleged abuses against Uyghurs. He reportedly fled with a laptop containing documents he claims provide evidence of repression and later contacted the World Uyghur Congress in Munich.
Zhang said he worked for about nine years as a prison guard and police officer in Xinjiang, where he described a system combining detention camps, surveillance, and political control targeting Uyghurs. He alleged that detainees were frequently subjected to beatings and other forms of mistreatment during interrogations, with some deaths occurring in custody and limited access to medical care.
According to his account, authorities also carried out extensive monitoring in local communities, collecting personal data on residents—including religious activities, contacts, and behavior—and reporting regularly to higher-level security agencies. He claimed that individuals could be detained arbitrarily based on broad or vague criteria, and that officials were under pressure to identify and report suspects.
Zhang also described broader social control measures, including incentives for interethnic marriages and the classification of certain individuals, such as unmarried or disobedient people, as “mentally ill” for monitoring purposes.
Source: Epoch Times, April 17, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/4/17/n14743438.htm