About OTKEL

OTKEL is an independent news service in Uyghur and English. We report on human rights, forced labor, transnational repression, cultural and religious persecution, Uyghur diaspora life, and how governments respond.

OTKEL is published by Uyghur News Network (UNN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom based in Virginia, United States. UNN was founded in 2025 by journalists who spent many years covering the Uyghur region.

Our standards

We verify information before we publish it. We say where our information comes from. We name sources when it is safe to do so, and we protect sources when it is not. We separate news from opinion. When we make a mistake, we correct it openly. Read our corrections policy.

Leadership

Mamatjan Juma is the founder and executive director of Uyghur News Network. He previously served as deputy director of Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur Service.

Support our work

OTKEL is free to read. It depends on donations from readers. Support independent Uyghur journalism.