Claims emerge of organ harvesting targeting Uyghur people

MNTV News Desk 

Investigation by journalist Ethan Gutmann suggests that detainees aged 28 and 29 have been disproportionately disappearing from detention facilities in East Turkestan region, known as Xinjiang in Chinese state parlance, amid claims of systematic organ harvesting targeting ethnic minorities, reports NTD.

Gutmann, who has spent over two decades researching allegations of forced organ harvesting in China, details the findings in his latest book The Xinjiang Procedure. His work builds on earlier investigations, including his 2014 publication The Slaughter.

According to Gutmann, evidence gathered through interviews with former detainees and witnesses indicates that similar practices may now be targeting Uyghur Muslims and other Turkic minorities held in camps across East Turkestan. 

The journalist conducted field research in Central Asia and Turkey, interviewing dozens of individuals who had fled detention. Many spoke under conditions of anonymity, citing fears of retaliation against family members still in China.

Among the testimonies cited is that of a witness identified as “Samal,” who claimed to have worked in underground medical facilities linked to a detention site. According to Gutmann’s account, the witness described multiple clinical units allegedly used for organ removal procedures.

“She reported seeing repeated handling of organs such as kidneys and livers, with several bodies processed daily,” Gutmann said, summarising the testimony.

A key pattern identified in the research is the reported disappearance of detainees aged 28 and 29. Gutmann argues that individuals in this age group are considered to be at peak physical health, making them particularly valuable in the context of organ transplantation. 

“You are at the peak of your health. At that point, your organs have stopped growing,” he said.

The report also links the alleged expansion of such practices to advances in medical technology, particularly the use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), which allows organs to remain viable for extended periods after extraction. Gutmann claims this has increased the potential profitability of organ transplants, with individual cases allegedly generating hundreds of thousands of dollars.

China has repeatedly denied accusations of forced organ harvesting and has stated that its transplant system complies with international ethical standards. Officials maintain that organs are sourced through a voluntary donation system.

However, rights groups and independent researchers have continued to raise concerns about transparency and the treatment of detainees in Xinjiang. The region has been the focus of international scrutiny over allegations of mass detention, forced labor, and cultural repression targeting Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.

Gutmann also criticized what he described as a lack of sustained response from Western governments and institutions to the allegations.

The claims could not be independently verified, and no official data has been released by Chinese authorities regarding the alleged disappearances or the demographics of detainees.

The issue remains highly contested, with calls from human rights organizations for further independent investigations into conditions within Xinjiang’s detention system.