The Tamesis
Ziba Murat, the daughter of detained Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas, stands next to House Speaker Mike Johnson after the 2026 State of the Union address.
Ziba Murat
For more than seven years, Ziba Murat has been waiting for news of the release of her mother, Gulshan Abbas. Abbas is a peaceful Uyghur doctor who was unfairly detained by the Chinese Communist Party. Seven birthdays have passed. The seventh anniversary of her detention is almost eight. Her eighth Mother’s Day just passed recently, but China has not revealed when her innocent mother will be returned to her family in the United States. The longer time goes by, the harder it is to expect her to return safely.
So when Murat received an invitation from House Speaker Mike Johnson to attend this year’s State of the Union address, she was optimistic that she might see her mother again if the right people spoke up.
As President Trump visits Beijing this week, Murat, like many other U.S. citizens separated from their loved ones across China, hopes that this time, her beloved mother can be released and safely returned home where she belongs.
Over the past week, President Trump has expressed interest in raising with Xi Jinping the cases of other unjustly detained political prisoners across China, including prominent Hong Konger Jimmy Lai and Christian pastor Kim Ming-ri. These signals suggest that Washington and Beijing intend to discuss more than just trade and economic issues during their meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping.
But it’s not just the president’s words that are encouraging. Today, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives unanimously passed bipartisan resolutions raising the cases of several high-priority political prisoners and calling for their release and safe return to their families. Political prisoners named in the resolution include Gulshan Abbas, Pastor Kim, Jimmy Lai, Gao Quanfu and Pang Yu. Their inclusion on a select list of political prisoners demonstrates the importance the U.S. government places on ensuring their freedom and hopefully at least increases the likelihood that they will be named. Congress’ adoption of this resolution demonstrates the alignment of the executive and legislative branches in prioritizing the release of political prisoners during the summit.
As President Trump and Xi Jinping prepare to meet, the president should recognize that the United States has the upper hand in negotiations. China’s economic weakness means China needs access to the U.S. market more than the United States does.
The United States should use the strategic leverage it possesses to show goodwill by demanding that China release high-profile political prisoners including Jimmy Lai, Pastor Kim, and Gulshan Abbas, as well as others listed in the congressional resolution. Securing their release would demonstrate American power and restore hope to families like Murat’s, who are U.S. citizens, that they will be reunited with their families again.
