Inside a Secret Plan to Bring Uyghurs Trapped in China to the United States

Ayshem Mamut, a 73-year-old Uyghur Muslim, was recently reunited with her sons in Virginia after being barred from leaving China for years. Her journey to freedom was part of a quiet diplomatic exchange between the U.S. and China.
Mamut was about to be detained by police when she was instead allowed to leave China
She reunited with two sons she hadn't seen in 20 years, meeting her grandchildren for the first time
Her son Nury Turkel, a human rights advocate, had been working to free his parents
The family's separation was linked to Nury's advocacy for Uyghur rights
Her release was part of a broader prisoner exchange between the U.S. and China
President Biden had personally raised Mamut's case with Chinese President Xi Jinping
Mamut was born during China's Cultural Revolution and gave birth to Nury in a re-education camp. Her sons had been separated from her since 2009 when Chinese authorities prevented her from traveling due to Nury's human rights work.
The reunion was emotional, with Nury describing his mother's remarkable ability to endure years of separation.