Human Rights Foundation marks 11 years of Uyghur professor's detention; calls for immediate release

New York [US], January 17 (ANI): The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) marked the 11th anniversary of the unjust detention of Ilham Tohti, a Uyghur professor who has been enduring a life sentence for his peaceful advocacy for Uyghur human rights. A post shared on X by HRF highlighted the atrocities he endured, including wrist and ankle shackling, prolonged solitary confinement, denial of adequate medical care and food, and political indoctrination. HRF condemned the unjust nature of Ilham Tohti's arrest, trial, and the severity of his sentence. The foundation demanded his immediate and unconditional release and called for an end to the Chinese regime's ongoing repression of Uyghurs.

1/ Today marks the 11th anniversary of the unjust detention of Uyghur professor Ilham Tohti, who has been serving a life sentence for peacefully advocating for Uyghur human rights and cross-cultural dialogue.https://t.co/83TSZT9dnn

— Human Rights Foundation (HRF) (@HRF) January 16, 2025

2/ Since his arrest in 2014, he has endured torture, including wrist and ankle shackling, prolonged solitary confinement, denial of adequate medical care and food, and political indoctrination.

— Human Rights Foundation (HRF) (@HRF) January 16, 2025

4/ HRF continues to condemn the unjust nature of Ilham Tohti's arrest, trial, and the severity of his sentence. We demand his immediate and unconditional release and call for an end to the Chinese regime's ongoing repression of Uyghurs.

— Human Rights Foundation (HRF) (@HRF) January 16, 2025

HRF's mission involves eradicating the broader struggle for democracy and human rights under authoritarian regimes around the world.
While marking Ilham Tohti's 11th anniversary of Ilham Tohti's arrest HRF shared a video of Tohti's daughter Jewher Ilham who spoke powerfully about her father's situation, stating, "I am Jewher Ilham. My father, Ilham Tohti, a Uyghur scholar, was sentenced to life in prison for his beliefs and for championing the rights of the Uyghur people. Today, I do not know if my father has been transferred to another prison, a factory, or to a camp. My story is one of shedding light on the oppression faced by the Uyghurs under the Chinese government and explaining how the clothes on your back, the solar panels on your roof, and even the food on your plate may be supporting a system built upon the internment of Uyghurs like me."

Today marks the 11th anniversary of the unjust detention of Uyghur professor Ilham Tohti, who has been serving a life sentence for peacefully advocating for Uyghur human rights.

His daughter, @JewherIlham, has courageously carried on her father's legacy. pic.twitter.com/wRPWu3UpcT

— Human Rights Foundation (HRF) (@HRF) January 16, 2025

According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF),
Ilham Tohti, a renowned professor of economics, has long represented the Uyghur minority. After conducting a raid on his residence and confiscating his laptop and books, authorities took him into custody on January 15, 2014. The USCIRF stated that he was found guilty of "separatism" in September 2014 and sentenced to life in prison. He was accused of advocating for Xinjiang's independence via his website, Uighur Online, which he established to promote mutual understanding between Han Chinese and Uyghurs. Tohti's assets were blocked, and he has been incommunicado since 2017.
The USCIRF highlighted that China has a longstanding history of targeting Tohti. He was forcibly disappeared in 2009 after being accused of inciting the July 2009 Urumqi Riots through his website but was later released. According to USCIRF, his case has garnered a meeting on July 17, 2019, between then-President Donald Trump and Tohti's daughter, Jewher Tohti. (ANI)