Beijing [China], January 11: A devastating sentence was handed down to Seylihan Rozi, a 49-year-old Uyghur woman from Kashgar's Konasheher county. She's been sentenced to 17 years in a Xinjiang prison for teaching religious verses to her sons and a neighbour, deemed "illegal underground religious activities" by Chinese authorities, as reported by Radio Free Asia.
This harsh sentence is part of a broader crackdown on religious expression in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs are increasingly penalized for practising their faith. Rozi's sons also received prison sentences - 10 years for one and 7 years for the other - for participating in what authorities called "illegal religious education" from their mother.
A neighbour, Yakup Hidayet, who received religious instruction from Rozi, was sentenced to 9 years in prison.
According to Radio Free Asia, Rozi, a resident of Saybagh village in Kashgar's Konasheher county, was convicted of providing religious lessons. A local police officer overseeing her case stated that these activities were deemed illegal under China's strict regulations targeting religious education.
Critics argue that these measures are an attack on the fundamental religious rights of the Uyghur population, rather than a legitimate effort to combat separatism, terrorism, and extremism.
The Chinese government's policies have sparked widespread international condemnation, with human rights advocates urging an end to the repression of Uyghur culture and religion.
According to RFA, this case is not isolated. Numerous reports, including leaked Chinese government documents, testimonies from former detainees, and data from Uyghur rights organizations, indicate that Uyghurs are routinely punished for engaging in religious activities. The government's policies have drawn widespread international condemnation, with human rights advocates calling for an end to the repression of Uyghur culture and religion in the region.
Recently, the UK Parliament's House of Lords held a pivotal event addressing the ongoing genocide and human rights abuses against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic groups in East Turkistan, a region that China calls the "Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region."
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