Family Confirms Ilham Tohti’s Arrest; World Uyghur Congress Condemns
NTDTV, 28 February 2014
Professor Ilham Tohti, an outspoken Uighur Muslim in China, has been the target of Communist authorities and was arrested due to his concern regarding the human rights situation.
Mainland Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti was taken away by police on 15th January and has been formally arrested on the charge of “secession”. His wife denied that he had taken action to disrupt the country. The World Uighur Congress (WUC) condemned the Chinese Communist Party, CCP for suppressing speech freedom and requested the Beijing government to release Ilham immediately.
Tohti’s wife Guzaili Nu’er knew the arrest her husband had been approved by Urumqi procuratorate on Feb 25. It was the first time she received information about her husband after Tohti was taken away for 43 days.
Mainland Uyghur scholar, Tohti’s wife Guzaili Nu’er: “Yesterday afternoon at 3:30 pm, the Beijing State Security called me and said they received my husband’s arrest notice from the Urumqi Municipal Public Security Bureau. The notice said Urumqi Procuratorate approved the arrest warrant for Ilham Toxti on charge of secession on 20th February, 2014.”
45-year-old Ilham Tohti is the associate professor of Minzu University of China. He has always been concerned about his compatriot’s situation and established the “Uyghur Online” website in 2006 that was closed by authorities. He has been persecuted by various Chinese authorities.
On Jan. 15, the police took Tohti away and ransacked his home. On Nov. 2 of last year, three plainclothes state security who were waiting outside, drove to crash the back of his car when he took his family out. They also threatened to kill his whole family. From 8th July, Tohti suddenly went missing until August 23.
Guzaili Nu’er: “I don’t accept this decision. My husband didn’t do anything and he is not that kind of person. There is no evidence to support guilt in secession. In fact, he is just an university teacher with 20 years experience. He is a scholar of the Uyghur group to do research on the Xinjiang problem not the so-called secession.”
On the 5th July, 2009, the CCP violently suppressed and massacred the Uyghur people. According to the spokesman of WUC Dilshat’s introduction, “Uyghur online” primarily published Uyghur legal rights’ problems in the hope that the international community could learn more about the current Uyghur situation such as the forced demolition, forced kidnapping, or Uyghur survival crisis due to the western developments by the CCP.
Ilham said that he was striving for legal rights including religion, culture, righteousness for Uyghurs using pen and paper.
The spokesman of WUC Dilshat: “Ilham did not commit any crime. The “Uyghur Online” website is hoping that the Chinese Han nationality and the international community can learn more about the local truth in an objective manner. “Uighur online” provided the unique platform for Uyghur rights defenders to express their voice in China.”
Tohti’s lawyer Li Fangping has arrived in Urumqi, Xinjiang. He disclosed that the “alleged secession” is a heavy offense resulting in life imprisonment if convicted.
Tohti wrote a four-point statement before being taken away by police this year:
Firstly, he will not commit suicide; Secondly, he doesn’t accept the attorney arranged by the government; Thirdly, if the government says he pleaded guilty, he might be forced to lose his mind under drug control or via other material controls; Fourthly, he has never participated in or contacted any terrorist organization.
Dilshat: “Tohti’s case is not a single case but a systematic policy by the CCP to suppress the expression freedom of Uyghurs. The CCP’s allegation of secession is just a political excuse to suppress speech and Internet freedom.”
Currently, there are a large number of international Chinese media reporting on Ilham’s formal arrest. Comments criticized the CCP to suppress the people of insight from all nationalities more severely after years of ethnic culture, religion, economy and environmental destruction.
Dilshat: “We strongly condemn the CCP’s repression on these moderate intellectuals at WUC. Ilham’s current situation is a concern for us all. We have again urged the CCP to unconditionally release him immediately and called on the international community to take emergency measures.”
Currently Tohti’s mother returned to Xinjiang hospitalized. His eldest daughter lives in the United States alone and his wife cares for their two young sons by herself.
Guzaili Nu’er has appealed to the international community and media to pay attention to Tohti and looked forward to his early return safely.