CFU Condemns Chinese Government for Life Sentence of Uyghur Scholar Rahile Dawut

  • September 22, 2023

CFU PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 21, 2023, 4:00 PM ET

Sabrina Sohail: sabrina@campaignforuyghurs.org

(650) 703-4523

www.campaignforuyghurs.org

Campaign For Uyghurs (CFU) is deeply disturbed by the recent news that esteemed Uyghur scholar, Professor Rahile Dawut, has been sentenced to life in prison. This is the first time that the Chinese government has officially acknowledged the life imprisonment of the Uyghur ethnographer. 

Professor Dawut is a prominent figure in Uyghur academia and a respected expert on Uyghur culture and folklore. She has authored numerous publications and has given lectures worldwide, shedding light on and commemorating the diverse traditions of the Uyghur community. Unfortunately, like many Uyghur intellectuals, she has been targeted by the Chinese regime and detained since December 2017 without any opportunity for due process.

According to The Dui Hua Foundation, Professor Dawut underwent a secret trial in December 2018 on charges of “splittism,” and was convicted by the Chinese government. The foundation also verified that following her unsuccessful appeal against the conviction, Professor Dawut has been serving a life sentence on charges related to endangering state security.  The Chinese Government uses this term to justify its crackdown on people they see as a threat to their “national unity,” and suppress voices that could potentially lead to any type of dissent. 

On receiving the news, Dr. Rahile Dawut’s daughter, Akida Pulat responded saying “As a daughter, the thought of my mother’s unfair imprisonment and the recent news that she is serving a life sentence brings unbearable pain and stress. The Chinese government is showing the world that they have no mercy by giving her a life sentence. I asked the Chinese authorities to show mercy and release my mother right away.”

Executive Director, Rushan Abbas, expressed deep concern regarding this situation and stated “We are devastated to hear the harsh and unjust sentence against one of the most revered Uyghur scholars. Rahile Dawut’s forced transition from a globally celebrated ethnographer to being labeled a so-called “splittist” by the Chinese government stands as a stark testament to the regime’s ongoing Uyghur genocide and suppression of Uyghur culture. We strongly condemn the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the grave injustice Professor Dawut has been subjected to and implore the international community to join us in demanding her immediate release.” 

CFU denounces and condemns the CCP for its unjust imprisonment and severe sentencing of Professor Dawut. This abhorrent act of silencing a renowned scholar serves as a chilling reminder of the ongoing genocide and systemic human rights violations against the Uyghur people in East Turkistan. CFU calls on the international community to take urgent actions to ensure the immediate release of Professor Dawut and the millions of unjustly imprisoned Uyghur people.

Picture of Jacob

editor-muyesser

Campaign for Uyghurs

We defend the human rights of Uyghur people and the free world by exposing and confronting the Chinese government's genocide, and empowering Uyghur women and youth in the diaspora.

Donate Now

READ MORE

Forced Labor, Coercive Land-Use Transfers, and Forced Assimilation in Xinjiang’s Agricultural Production
Located in the northwest of China, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region boasts long hours of sunshine and ample water for irrigation — making the region geographically ideal for growing cotton. Cotton grown in Xinjiang, which has good coloration and long fiber, is favored in both domestic and foreign markets.
‘This Has Been Delayed For Too Long’
Source: RFA Rushan Abbas, a former broadcaster for RFA’s Uyghur Service and the director of the U.S.-based Campaign for Uighurs exile group, recently testified at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington about rights violations in northwest China’s
Uyghurs in Exile Launch Campaign Calling on China to Release Video of Missing Family Members
Source: RFA More than a dozen ethnic Uyghurs living in exile have called on China to release video of family members held in political “re-education camps” in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) after Chinese state media published what it
Tough Curbs on Burials
Source: RFA HONG KONG—Ethnic minority Uyghurs from the far-west Chinese city of Urumqi say authorities attach strict conditions when they release the bodies of Uyghurs who die in custody. Hundreds of Uyghurs were detained as part of a broad crackdown
I’ve fought China’s slow-motion genocide of Uighur Muslims. Now, my family are victims.
Source: USA Today   The world is finally waking up to the ongoing and terrifying violations of human rights against the Uighurs — a Muslim minority in Northwest China. My own family is victim to these violations. As both an American citizen and
Remarks by Ambassador Sam Brownback at Taipei Religious Freedom Conference
Remarks by Ambassador Sam Brownback at Taipei Religious Freedom Conference March 11, 2019 I would like to thank President Tsai’s comments and her for taking the time to be here out of her busy schedule. I can’t help but just
On Capitol Hill, persecuted Muslims unite to protect religious minorities’ rights
(RNS) — More than 125 members of the minority Ahmadi Muslim sect spent Monday (April 1) on Capitol Hill advocating for international religious freedom causes — particularly lending their voices on behalf of beleaguered Uighur Muslims. As part of its
As Countries Seek Trade With China, Imprisoned Uyghur Community Has Become “Collateral Damage”
China’s top trade negotiator is traveling to Washington this week as tension over trade intensifies between the two nations. President Trump is threatening to impose a 25 percent tariff on nearly all Chinese imports after the U.S. accused China of

STAY
INFORMED

Add your name to our mailing list so we can keep you updated about upcoming events, speciality drives, new initiatives and more.