Who We Are
China Muslim Human Rights Watch (CMHRW) was founded in 2019 in New York as an independent, nonprofit initiative dedicated to protecting the rights of Chinese Muslims worldwide.
From the beginning, our mission has been clear: to bring attention to overlooked injustices, support affected communities, and advocate for fairness, dignity, and equal treatment.
We work across borders to document concerns, raise awareness, and engage with the global community — ensuring that these issues are not ignored or forgotten.
Our commitment is grounded in compassion, but driven by accountability.
We believe that meaningful change begins with visibility, truth, and collective action.
Our Team
CMHRW is composed of experienced experts across relevant fields.
Executive Director:
Dr. Ahmet Yusuf
Dr. Ahmet Yusuf is the founder and Executive Director of China Muslim Human Rights Watch (CMHRW).
Born in 1982 in Kashgar, Xinjiang, China, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Xinjiang University in 2004. He later pursued advanced studies in the United States, earning a Master’s degree in Human Rights Law from New York University and a Ph.D. in International Law.
As the situation in Xinjiang deteriorated sharply after 2017, with several family members detained in “re-education camps,” he applied for and received political asylum in the United States.
In 2019, he established CMHRW in New York to systematically monitor and advocate for the legal rights of Chinese Muslims worldwide.
Under his leadership, the organization has submitted multiple shadow reports to the United Nations, testified before U.S. Congressional hearings, and raised international awareness about issues including religious freedom, arbitrary detention, and transnational harassment faced by Chinese Muslims.
Director of Research:
Dr. Ma Lina
Dr. Ma Lina serves as the Director of Research at CMHRW, overseeing all data collection, report writing, and policy analysis.
Born in 1985 in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, into a Hui Muslim family, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Peking University in 2007 and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University in 2012. Her doctoral dissertation examined identity formation and transnational mobility among Chinese Muslim diaspora communities.
Prior to joining CMHRW, she worked as a Senior Researcher at a prominent international human rights think tank in Washington, D.C. Since the organization’s founding in 2021, Dr. Ma has built the “Global Chinese Muslim Rights Database” and authored more than a dozen specialized reports addressing challenges such as visa discrimination, surveillance of religious sites, and barriers to family reunification faced by overseas Chinese Muslims.
Her rigorous academic approach provides verifiable evidence for all of CMHRW’s advocacy efforts.
Director of Advocacy and Communications:
Ms. Sophia Reynolds
Ms. Sophia Reynolds is the Director of Advocacy and Communications at CMHRW.
Born in 1984 in London, United Kingdom, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and East Asian Studies from the University of Oxford and a Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law from Harvard Law School.
Before focusing on Chinese Muslim issues, Sophia spent nearly a decade working with leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, where she specialized in China and East Asia programs.
She first became deeply involved in the Uyghur and Chinese Muslim human rights crisis in 2018 while coordinating international campaigns on mass detention and cultural erasure.
She joined CMHRW as a founding core member in 2019, bringing extensive experience in strategic advocacy, media relations, and coalition-building.
