Former Chinese Police Officer Seeks Asylum in Germany, Reveals Daily Surveillance and Prison Violence in Xinjiang
A former Chinese police officer who served in Xinjiang sought asylum in Germany, exposing details of daily surveillance and violent interrogations in Xinjiang prisons. He presented extensive work documents, testifying to witnessing prisoner abuse and deaths during his prison service since 2014. From 2016, he was involved in collecting data on 'suspicious individuals' as a village police officer, detailing how residents were arrested for minor reasons. His testimony is considered valuable for understanding Xinjiang's governance model.
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- 📰 Published: April 17, 2026 at 17:24
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(Central News Agency reporter Lin Shang-ying, Berlin 17th) A Chinese police officer who once served in Xinjiang left his tour group at the famous tourist attraction Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, then went to the World Uyghur Congress headquarters in Munich and applied for asylum in Germany. In proving his background, he presented a large amount of data from his work in Xinjiang, revealing details of prison operations and daily surveillance in Xinjiang, which has attracted attention.
Der Spiegel reported that last summer, a Chinese tourist named Zhang Yabo (tentative translation) disappeared from a Chinese tour group at a famous German tourist attraction. He later appeared at the headquarters of the World Uyghur Congress in Munich and applied for asylum in Germany.
Upon arriving in Munich, Zhang Yabo proactively contacted the World Uyghur Congress. With their arrangement, he met with relevant individuals, and the entire conversation was recorded. He carried a backpack, laptop, and hard drive, presenting a large amount of past work data, with Der Spiegel reporters present and interviewing.
"As the tour group walked up the mountain road, I deliberately walked at the very end. At a turn, I stopped and, when no one was paying attention, turned back and left. I then transferred from the small town of Füssen to Munich," Zhang Yabo first recounted his departure from the group, then opened his laptop to prove his identity.
The report states that Zhang Yabo worked in Xinjiang for nearly 9 years, serving successively as a prison guard and grassroots police officer, participating in the surveillance and management of the Uyghur population there.
Since 2017, Xinjiang has established large-scale re-education camps and surveillance systems, incorporating religious activities, cultural expressions, and even daily behaviors into surveillance through mobile phone checks and grassroots reporting systems. For example, one of the police tasks was to monitor whether residents went to mosques and regularly report to superiors.
During the meeting, Zhang Yabo detailed his experience working in Xinjiang prisons since 2014, stating that he was responsible for escorting detainees to interrogation rooms and witnessed multiple violent interrogations. He specifically described excessive law enforcement, where prison staff often beat prisoners with batons, sometimes breaking the wooden sticks due to the force. If detainees disobeyed orders, they might be punished. He also claimed that some prisoners were kicked and beaten to death during interrogations, and almost every week someone died, with almost no medical resources available in the prison for basic treatment.
In 2016, Zhang Yabo was transferred to a village of about 1,700 people to serve as a police officer, responsible for establishing and updating "suspicious person" data files, which included information on personal relationships, religious activities, and blood samples.
Zhang Yabo said that the standard for residents being deemed suspicious was very low: "A song, a poem, a prayer was enough to be used as evidence for arrest."
Grassroots law enforcement units in Xinjiang have performance pressure and must regularly report the number of suspicious individuals. Some police officers would therefore fabricate reasons; for example, seeing villagers playing basketball, they would record them as potential terrorists on the grounds that "they are maintaining physical fitness."
Over time, Zhang Yabo gradually questioned the system and his performance was affected by work pressure and internal conflict. He finally resigned in 2023 due to "family and health reasons." After leaving the system, he moved to a southern Chinese city, briefly worked as a barber, and came into contact with Christianity.
He stated that he had separated from his wife before deciding to flee and sold family property to raise funds, while arranging to leave the country through a tour group. The entire trip cost about 35,000 RMB.
Bjorn Alpermann, a professor at the University of Würzburg in Germany who has long studied Xinjiang issues, was interviewed by Der Spiegel and stated, "It is quite rare for a former police officer to speak so openly about this system." Zhang Yabo's revelations are valuable for understanding Xinjiang's governance model.
When the World Uyghur Congress asked Zhang Yabo why he spoke out, the report described him taking out a baptism certificate with two golden churches printed on it and saying: "I am a Christian, and after I die, I have to answer to Jesus." He also said: "If one day I am asked what I did about the injustice there, then I at least hope to be able to say: I told the truth."
Zhang Yabo has currently applied for political asylum in Germany and continues to be in contact with Der Spiegel while awaiting review, providing relevant documents and information from his time in Xinjiang. The Chinese authorities have not yet responded to the allegations. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150417
Der Spiegel reported that last summer, a Chinese tourist named Zhang Yabo (tentative translation) disappeared from a Chinese tour group at a famous German tourist attraction. He later appeared at the headquarters of the World Uyghur Congress in Munich and applied for asylum in Germany.
Upon arriving in Munich, Zhang Yabo proactively contacted the World Uyghur Congress. With their arrangement, he met with relevant individuals, and the entire conversation was recorded. He carried a backpack, laptop, and hard drive, presenting a large amount of past work data, with Der Spiegel reporters present and interviewing.
"As the tour group walked up the mountain road, I deliberately walked at the very end. At a turn, I stopped and, when no one was paying attention, turned back and left. I then transferred from the small town of Füssen to Munich," Zhang Yabo first recounted his departure from the group, then opened his laptop to prove his identity.
The report states that Zhang Yabo worked in Xinjiang for nearly 9 years, serving successively as a prison guard and grassroots police officer, participating in the surveillance and management of the Uyghur population there.
Since 2017, Xinjiang has established large-scale re-education camps and surveillance systems, incorporating religious activities, cultural expressions, and even daily behaviors into surveillance through mobile phone checks and grassroots reporting systems. For example, one of the police tasks was to monitor whether residents went to mosques and regularly report to superiors.
During the meeting, Zhang Yabo detailed his experience working in Xinjiang prisons since 2014, stating that he was responsible for escorting detainees to interrogation rooms and witnessed multiple violent interrogations. He specifically described excessive law enforcement, where prison staff often beat prisoners with batons, sometimes breaking the wooden sticks due to the force. If detainees disobeyed orders, they might be punished. He also claimed that some prisoners were kicked and beaten to death during interrogations, and almost every week someone died, with almost no medical resources available in the prison for basic treatment.
In 2016, Zhang Yabo was transferred to a village of about 1,700 people to serve as a police officer, responsible for establishing and updating "suspicious person" data files, which included information on personal relationships, religious activities, and blood samples.
Zhang Yabo said that the standard for residents being deemed suspicious was very low: "A song, a poem, a prayer was enough to be used as evidence for arrest."
Grassroots law enforcement units in Xinjiang have performance pressure and must regularly report the number of suspicious individuals. Some police officers would therefore fabricate reasons; for example, seeing villagers playing basketball, they would record them as potential terrorists on the grounds that "they are maintaining physical fitness."
Over time, Zhang Yabo gradually questioned the system and his performance was affected by work pressure and internal conflict. He finally resigned in 2023 due to "family and health reasons." After leaving the system, he moved to a southern Chinese city, briefly worked as a barber, and came into contact with Christianity.
He stated that he had separated from his wife before deciding to flee and sold family property to raise funds, while arranging to leave the country through a tour group. The entire trip cost about 35,000 RMB.
Bjorn Alpermann, a professor at the University of Würzburg in Germany who has long studied Xinjiang issues, was interviewed by Der Spiegel and stated, "It is quite rare for a former police officer to speak so openly about this system." Zhang Yabo's revelations are valuable for understanding Xinjiang's governance model.
When the World Uyghur Congress asked Zhang Yabo why he spoke out, the report described him taking out a baptism certificate with two golden churches printed on it and saying: "I am a Christian, and after I die, I have to answer to Jesus." He also said: "If one day I am asked what I did about the injustice there, then I at least hope to be able to say: I told the truth."
Zhang Yabo has currently applied for political asylum in Germany and continues to be in contact with Der Spiegel while awaiting review, providing relevant documents and information from his time in Xinjiang. The Chinese authorities have not yet responded to the allegations. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150417
FAQ
Why did former Chinese police officer Zhang Yabo seek asylum in Germany?
Zhang Yabo sought political asylum in Germany after witnessing daily surveillance, violent interrogations in prisons, and unjust arrests during his service as a police officer in Xinjiang, which led him to question the system.
What kind of surveillance system in Xinjiang did Zhang Yabo reveal?
Since 2017, Xinjiang has established large-scale re-education camps and surveillance systems. Through mobile phone checks and grassroots reporting, religious activities, cultural expressions, and even daily behaviors are monitored. Police officers monitored mosque attendance and recorded residents as 'suspicious individuals' for minor reasons.