23-09-2014
A mainland court has handed a life sentence to the country's most prominent advocate for the Uighur rights.
Economics professor Ilham Tohti stood trial on separatism charges in the western region of Xinjiang last week. His case has provoked an international outcry in the West and among international human rights groups.
Mr Tohti, an ethnic Uighur, is the latest moderate intellectual to be convicted by President Xi Jinping's administration. The harsh jail term sparked dismay among rights advocates.
Prosecutors in Xinjiang said Mr Tohti had promoted independence for the region on a website he managed.
Mr Tohti told the court last week he established the website to promote dialogue between Uighur and Han scholars and that he had publicly opposed separatism and violence, according to his lawyer.
http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20140923/news_20140923_56_1039287.htm
