A prominent Chinese scholar from the mostly-Muslim Uighur ethnic group was jailed for life because of remarks he made in a university class about the restive Xinjiang region, state-media reported Thursday.
Ilham Tohti, a former professor, was handed the sentence on a charge of “separatism” by a court in the vast western region on Tuesday, provoking an outcry from rights groups, as well as the US and European Union.
The case against Tohti was in part based on recordings of university lectures in which he said that Xinjiang “firstly belonged to the Uighur ethnic group”, rather than China’s Han majority, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
State prosecutors said the speech, along with other remarks in which he questioned the government’s account of a violent incident in Xinjiang last year, had encouraged others to join “separatist groups”.
Tohti argued that China’s constitution guarantees citizens freedom of speech, but prosecutors said “Chinese citizens must not damage the interests of the state while executing their freedom,” according to Xinhua.
Foreign media were not allowed access to the court for Tohti’s trial last week and police kept the area sealed off.
Tohti’s lawyer Li Fangping told AFP that several remarks quoted by Xinhua were inaccurate, and that he has lodged a complaint on the grounds that publishing evidence before Tohti has had a chance to appeal is illegal.
“We were not given access to this evidence before the trial because we were told it was too sensitive. Now before the verdict is even effective, this evidence is released by the media, in the name of state media,” he said.
“Publishing this inaccurate account, I suspect, is intended to influence the public’s opinion of Ilham,” he added.
– ‘He violated China’s law’ –
A Chinese official who handles ethnic affairs on Thursday maintained that Tohti’s case was handled in accordance with Chinese law.
Luo Liming, deputy director of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, told reporters in Beijing that safeguarding minority rights and meting out punishment to lawbreakers are two different matters.
“He has violated China’s law, therefore he was punished,” Luo said of Tohti, according to China National Radio. “It is not an issue of safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of minorities or not.”