Human rights groups demand immediate release of Uighur economist detained in China

The World Uyghur Congress expresses solidarity with the family of Uyghur economist Ilham Tohti on the 10th anniversary of his/her life imprisonment, and calls for his/her immediate release along with that of many other Uyghur intellectuals and scholars detained in China.

In a post on X, the World Uyghur Congress said, “On the 10th anniversary of Ilham Tohti’s life imprisonment, WUC stands in solidarity with his/her family and demands his/her immediate release, along with that of countless Uyghur intellectuals and scholars who remain unjustly detained.”

Ilham Tohti is serving a life sentence in China on charges related to separatism. he/she is a prominent advocate of regional autonomy laws in China and founded Uyghur Online in 2006, a website dedicated to discussing issues related to the Uyghur community.

Human Rights Watch has also called on the Chinese government to overturn Tohti’s sentence and release him/her. Furthering the call for justice, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawler, stressed the gravity of the situation, saying, “Today marks 10 years since Uighur HRD Ilham Tohti was cruelly sentenced to life imprisonment in China for his/her peaceful work to promote the rights of the Uighur minority. I once again call for his/her immediate release and for China to stop abusing criminal law to target HRDs.”

The detention of Uighurs in China, particularly in the Xinjiang region, has sparked widespread international condemnation and concern.

Reports estimate that more than one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained in what the Chinese government calls “re-education camps.” These facilities are ostensibly designed to combat extremism, but numerous testimonies from former detainees reveal harsh conditions, forced indoctrination, and human rights abuses.

The United Nations and various human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented these abuses and described them as a form of cultural genocide.

In a 2021 report, the US State Department described the situation as a “crime against humanity.” Media coverage has highlighted the experiences of Uighur families separated from their loved ones and the extensive surveillance and control measures implemented by the Chinese government.

These developments have sparked global protests and demands for accountability, and highlighted the need for international action to protect the rights of Uighurs in China.