Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Brings Uyghur Human Rights Activist Rushan Abbas As His Guest To the State of the Union

WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi is set to bring Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, as his guest at the State of the Union in Washington, D.C. Ms. Abbas is an outspoken Uyghur human rights advocate, becoming one of the most prominent Uyghur voices in the world following her sister's detainment by the Chinese Communist Party in 2018. In February 2022, Campaign for Uyghurs, which Ms. Abbas founded to advocate and promote human rights and democratic freedoms for Uyghurs, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi invited Ms. Abbas to highlight the ongoing human rights abuses and genocide of the Uyghur Muslims and other religious and ethnic minority groups by the People's Republic of China.

"From her days as a student at Xinjiang University, where she organized and led pro-democracy demonstrations, to her work in creating the ‘One Voice One Step' movement with Campaign for Uyghurs, Rushan Abbas has proven herself to be a champion for human rights and an ardent advocate for the Uyghur people as they face genocide at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party," said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. "I am honored to have her attend the State of the Union as my guest, and like Rushan, I remain committed to putting a stop to the genocide of the Uyghur Muslim population and to fight against discrimination and persecution of religious minorities across the world."

"I am very honored to attend the State of the Union as Rep. Krishnamoorthi's guest," said Rushan Abbas. "As a voice of democracy, justice, diversity, and human dignity, the U.S. Congress stands against oppressive and totalitarian regimes. This is a recognition of the Uyghur people's suffering and our effective advocacy, which my sister is paying a heavy price for today."