ANI NEWS
The United States has strongly criticised China for imposing a life sentence on Rahile Dawut, a prominent Uyghur academic.
A US-based human rights organisation recently reported that Dawut, aged 57, had lost her appeal against her initial conviction dating back to December 2018, on charges of “endangering state security.”
Human rights activists have alleged that China is conducting a large-scale internment campaign targeting Uyghurs, accompanied by disturbing practices such as forced sterilisation and cultural repression. Some government bodies, including the US State Department, have gone so far as to label these actions as “genocide.” China, however, denies these allegations.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, issued a statement condemning the reported life sentence handed down to Professor Rahile Dawut by the Chinese government following secretive court proceedings.
The statement said that Dawut and other Uyghur intellects were “unjustly imprisoned” for their work to protect and preserve Uyghur culture and traditions.
“We call upon the PRC government to immediately end the genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang and to abide by its international commitments to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. We continue to call on the PRC government to immediately release Professor Dawut and all individuals who are unjustly detained,” it added.
“We condemn the reported life sentence handed down by the Government of the People’s Republic of China following secret court proceedings of Professor Rahile Dawut,” Miller said in a statement.
Before her detention, Rahile Dawut had held the position of professor at the Xinjiang University College of Humanities and was well-regarded as a leading cultural anthropologist and ethnographer specializing in Uyghur folklore. She had been in detention since December 2017 in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, an area where Beijing has faced accusations of human rights abuses against the predominantly Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority, which it vehemently denies.
It’s worth noting that Dawut is just one among a list of over 300 Uyghur intellectuals who have been detained, arrested, or imprisoned by Chinese authorities since 2016, as reported by the U.S.-based Dui Hua Foundation.
The development of Chinese court sentencing Dawut to life in prison came six years after she first disappeared, VOA News reported citing a human rights group.
The announcement has been devastating for Dawut’s daughter, Akida Pulat, who for years expressed hope that her mother would be released soon.
Speaking to VOA News, Akida Pulat said, “I have been worrying about my mom’s health and safety for the past several years.” She further said, “Thinking about my innocent mom staying in prison for the rest of her life makes me really furious, and I want her to get released immediately.”
Dawut’s life sentence showcases the severity of China‘s abusive campaign in Xinjiang. Over 300 Uyghur intellectuals have been detained in the region, according to the Uyghur Human Rights Project.
As many as 3 million people, particularly Uyghurs, are estimated to have been arbitrarily detained in the region, the report said.
