Thai Court to Decide on Uyghur Men’s Possible Extradition

Thailand says a court will decide whether Uyghur men held in the country can be extradited to China, after officials said five men are subject to Chinese arrest warrants and rights groups warned that two face a risk of torture if returned. National Security Council secretary-general Chaipruak Doungprapat said a Chinese extradition request would be assessed by Thailand’s Foreign Ministry before a court considers the case. If the court rules against the men, they could be handed over under the extradition treaty, he said. A ruling in their favor could leave their future dependent on whether another country would accept them. The reports describe five men as subject to Chinese warrants, but focus on two who have been pardoned and are nearing the end of their prison sentences. The other three have about a year remaining in prison, according to Thai officials. The five were jailed for attempting to escape immigration detention in 2020. The court process and the scope of any Chinese request have not been established publicly in the accounts of the case. The two men have been detained in Thailand since 2014, when they were among more than 300 Uyghurs who fled China. After their...