Ilham Tohti, a peaceful advocate of China’s Uighur community, currently serving a life sentence in a Chinese prison, was awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders by a group of human rights organizations; Tohti was also a finalist for the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The Sakharov prize is awarded annually by the European Parliament to honor individuals and ... Continue Reading>>
Ilham Tohti Requesting Legal Counsel for Appeal of His Case
Ilham Tohti has called on his family to engage lawyers and lodge an appeal for him through the Chinese judicial system. Tohti was arrested on July 30, 2014 and charged, after a period of detention, with separatism, which he denies. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Tohti was a Professor at Central Minorities University in Beijing. He has been an advocate for the Uighur ... Continue Reading>>
Advocate for Uighur Minority in China Arrested, Taken to Undisclosed Location
Dr. Ilham Tohti, a Professor of economics at the Central Minorities University in Beijing was arrested after a raid of his apartment and materials in it. He had been previously harassed and threatened, allegedly to stop him from talking to foreign journalists. CCS wrote to Chinese authorities asking for Tohti to be treated with fairness and due process, including access to family and ... Continue Reading>>