Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Serving Life Sentence in China

Ilham Tohti, an academic and a writer, has served ten years of a life sentence on wrongful charges of separatism, despite speaking against separatism.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-25757198

President Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China
Zhongnanhai
Xichangan’jie
Xichengqu, Beijing Shi 100017

October 7, 2024

Dear President Xi Jinping:

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

We are writing regarding the imprisonment of Ilham Tohti, a writer and academic who has been nominated for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. Detained on January 15, 2014, Tohti was starved and shackled for weeks. Tohti was charged with separatism and sentenced to life imprisonment, despite the fact that he was vocally opposed to separatism. In fact, he advocated instead for increased dialogue between the Uyghur community and Beijing. Before and during his time in prison, he has received threats to his family’s life from Chinese officials.

The Committee is deeply concerned about both the harsh duration of Ilham Tohti’s prison sentence, as well as the inhumane treatment that he has been subjected to including solitary confinement, shackling, lack of family visitation, starvation, and inadequate medical care. The conflict between Uyghur people and the Chinese government should not influence basic humane treatment of Tohti.

China has a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Based on this fact, it is our hope and request that you will reconsider the sentence of Ilham Tohti. Additionally, there should be an immediate improvement in the conditions that he is subjected to while in prison. Finally, we respectfully request that Tohti is provided adequate food and medical care.

Sincerely,

Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

CC:

Anthony Blinken
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

Myles Axton, Chief Editor, Genetics and Genomics Next

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

David Gross, University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Giorgio Parisi, Roma I University La Sapienza

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, New England Biolabs*

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Former Honorary Board Members

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deseased) Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser (deceased), Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy (deceased), University of Pittsburgh

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

Louis Nirenberg (deceased), New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Myriam Sarachick (deceased), City College of New York

Harold Scheraga (deceased), Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Steven Weinberg (deceased), University of Texas, Austin*

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Committee of Concerned Scientists

c/o Alexandra R. Bender, Executive Director
P.O. Box 273
Mountainhome, PA 18342
abender@concernedscientists.org