ALMATY -- A series of novels written by an ethnic Kazakh man imprisoned in China that was secretly brought to Kazakhstan was presented in Almaty on November 24, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.
Called "Qylmys" (The Crime), the novels were written by Qazhyghumar Shabdanuly, 85, who spent more than 40 years in Chinese jails for his political views and is currently under house arrest in Xinjiang.
His daughter, Gulzhanynar Qazhyghumarkyzy, and prominent Kazakh writer Qabdesh Zhumadil said at the novels' presentation that the books are about "the tragic destiny of Kazakh people living abroad, written by a witness."
The books detail the life of an ethnic minority in western China and the cruel and difficult life of a political prisoner.
The 2,000 copies of the novels were printed by the Almaty-based Atazhurt publishing house and will be distributed to libraries, universities, and schools throughout Kazakhstan.
There are at least 2 million ethnic Kazakhs living in China's Xinjiang Province.