On the 10th anniversary of Ilham Tohti’s unjust life sentence, the EU reiterates its call for his release.

On September 24, 2024, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the conviction of Sakharov Prize laureate Ilham Tohti, the European Union issued a press release on behalf of Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The statement read as follows:

“Ten years ago today, on 23 September 2014, Uyghur economist and human rights activist Ilham Tohti was sentenced to life in prison on alleged separatism-related charges. For more than two decades, he worked tirelessly to foster dialogue and understanding between Uyghurs and Han Chinese. For his dedication and advocacy, he was awarded the European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2019.

The imprisonment of Ilham Tohti is representative of the deeply worrying human rights situation in Xinjiang that was highlighted in numerous reports by UN Treaty Bodies and Special Rapporteurs, and in particular the 2022 assessment report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The EU has repeatedly called on the government of China to respect, protect and fulfil human rights for all, including Uyghurs, Tibetans and persons belonging to national or ethnic, linguistic and religious groups and minorities in China.

The EU reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Ilham Tohti and other human rights defenders, lawyers and intellectuals who are arbitrarily detained in China.”

From: UygurNews