In a shocking display of injustice, the Chinese Communist Party sentenced Uighur academic Ilham Tohti to life in prison in retaliation for his criticisms of government policies in Xinjiang and efforts to promote mutual understanding between ethnic Uighurs and Han Chinese.
Chinese prosecutors formally charged Ilham Tohti, a moderate Uighur rights advocate, with “separatism,” a charge that carries the death penalty. Tohti has remained in secretive detention in remote Xinjiang Province since January.
Chinese authorities formally arrested prominent Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti, charging him with “secession” in relation to his public advocacy of Uighur rights. Beijing police detained him at his home over a month ago and then held him at a detention center in Xinjiang before formally leveling charges. If convicted, Tohti faces a sentence ranging from 10 years to life in prison. The crime of secession is also punishable by death.