Bangkok [Thailand], July 24 : An international human rights watchdog called upon the Chinese authorities on Tuesday for the illegal imprisonment and further torture of Ilham Tohti, a renowned Uyghur activist and intellectual, Amnesty International said in a statement.
Tohti had advocated for understanding and dialogue between Uyghurs and Han people in China.
The same statement by Amnesty International mentioned that all attempts to resolve the issue between China and Uyghurs are faced with life sentences on baseless charges of "separatism."
According to the Amnesty International statement, "Ilham Tohti, a renowned Uyghur intellectual, has spent the last ten years unjustly imprisoned for his peaceful advocacy. His relentless calls for understanding and dialogue between Uyghurs and Han Chinese have been met with a life sentence on baseless charges of "separatism."
The statement further mentioned that "the charges against Ilham Tohti stem from his writings and teachings, which explained the systemic discrimination faced by Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Tohti's life sentence, handed down on September 23, 2014, after a trial lacking fairness and transparency, is a blatant violation of his rights. During his imprisonment, Tohti has reportedly been subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including wrist and ankle shackling, prolonged solitary confinement and denial of adequate medical care and food, as well as political indoctrination."
The statement called Ilham Tohti's imprisonment, egregious and a signal towards the suppression of most non-violent forms of advocacy for human rights.
The statement also mentioned that Tohti's case exemplifies the Chinese government's broader crackdown on Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other ethnic groups, including mass arbitrary detention, forced assimilation policies, and crimes against humanity.
While appreciating the efforts of Ilham Tohti, the Amnesty International statement mentioned that his approach offered a path towards understanding and cooperation and promoted peaceful coexistence. His freedom would be a crucial step for advancing human rights and justice in China, while his ongoing imprisonment is a stark reminder of the ongoing human rights crisis faced by Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Turkic Muslim groups living in China.
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