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Uighur Scholar Will Fight Charges of Separatism in China, Lawyer Says Uighur Scholar Will Fight Charges of Separatism in China, Lawyer Says
(about 2 hours later)
HONG KONG — Ilham Tohti, a prominent Uighur scholar charged with separatism after he repeatedly criticized China’s increasingly uncompromising policies in Xinjiang, his ethnically divided homeland, told his lawyers on Thursday that he would fight the charges, one of the lawyers said.HONG KONG — Ilham Tohti, a prominent Uighur scholar charged with separatism after he repeatedly criticized China’s increasingly uncompromising policies in Xinjiang, his ethnically divided homeland, told his lawyers on Thursday that he would fight the charges, one of the lawyers said.
The meeting with his two defense lawyers brought the first word conveyed from Mr. Tohti since he was detained in January and arrested in February on charges of inciting separatism, an accusation condemned by international human rights groups and Chinese rights advocates. They have said Mr. Tohti advocated peaceful change in Xinjiang, the far-western region of China that has been increasingly torn by tensions pitting ethnic Uighurs, a Muslim Turkic-speaking people, against the government and China’s ethnic Han majority.The meeting with his two defense lawyers brought the first word conveyed from Mr. Tohti since he was detained in January and arrested in February on charges of inciting separatism, an accusation condemned by international human rights groups and Chinese rights advocates. They have said Mr. Tohti advocated peaceful change in Xinjiang, the far-western region of China that has been increasingly torn by tensions pitting ethnic Uighurs, a Muslim Turkic-speaking people, against the government and China’s ethnic Han majority.
Mr. Tohti was adamant that the charges were spurious, said Li Fangping, one of the lawyers who met with him for nearly five hours in a detention center in Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang. Mr. Tohti is adamant that the charges are spurious, said Li Fangping, one of his lawyers, who met with him for nearly five hours in a detention center in Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang.
“He rejected the charges,” Mr. Li said in a telephone interview from Urumqi, where he had traveled from Beijing to seek a meeting with his client. “But he wasn’t aware of the specific police accusations against him, and only today did we show them to him.” Mr. Li explained that he and the other lawyer showed Mr. Tohti a news report with the charges that came out at the time of his arrest.“He rejected the charges,” Mr. Li said in a telephone interview from Urumqi, where he had traveled from Beijing to seek a meeting with his client. “But he wasn’t aware of the specific police accusations against him, and only today did we show them to him.” Mr. Li explained that he and the other lawyer showed Mr. Tohti a news report with the charges that came out at the time of his arrest.
“After he read them, he was very angry,” Mr. Li said. “He said none of his words or deeds constituted the crime of separatism. He simply hoped that the interests of ethnic minorities and Han people could be brought together.”“After he read them, he was very angry,” Mr. Li said. “He said none of his words or deeds constituted the crime of separatism. He simply hoped that the interests of ethnic minorities and Han people could be brought together.”
Mr. Tohti is being kept in a cell with six Han detainees, some accused of violent crimes, said Mr. Li. He said the police guards did not overtly monitor his meeting with Mr. Tohti.Mr. Tohti is being kept in a cell with six Han detainees, some accused of violent crimes, said Mr. Li. He said the police guards did not overtly monitor his meeting with Mr. Tohti.
Prosecutors are considering whether to indict Mr. Tohti after they received a police report last week, Mr. Li said earlier this week. China’s legal authorities come under Communist Party control and rarely abandon politically sensitive cases midcourse; a trial appears nearly inevitable, as does a guilty verdict. “He’ll certainly maintain that he’s innocent,” Mr. Li said. Prosecutors are considering whether to indict Mr. Tohti after they received a police report last week, Mr. Li said earlier this week. China’s legal authorities come under Communist Party control and rarely abandon politically sensitive cases midcourse; a trial appears nearly inevitable, as does a guilty verdict.
Until his arrest, Mr. Tohti, 44, had taught economics at Minzu University in Beijing, which specializes in teaching students from ethnic minorities. In lectures, interviews and on the Internet, he argued that the government’s recipe of heavy infrastructure spending, cultural restrictions and harsh security in Xinjiang was increasingly alienating Uighurs. Before his detention, Mr. Tohti, 44, had taught economics at Minzu University in Beijing, which specializes in teaching students from ethnic minorities, including Uighurs. In lectures, interviews and on the Internet, through his own website, he argued that the government’s recipe of heavy infrastructure spending, cultural restrictions and harsh security in Xinjiang was increasingly alienating Uighurs.
Mr. Li said that after his meeting with Mr. Tohti, prosecution officials allowed him to copy documents from the investigation, which included writings in Chinese and in Uighur.
“From my preliminary reading, the documents involve not just Tohti, but others, a group of students in Beijing,” said Mr. Li. He said the students appeared to be Uighur, but he was not sure whether they came from Mr. Tohti’s university. “The case is more serious because it involves other individuals,” he said.
Mr. Li said he believed that police investigators’ charge against Mr. Tohti presented to prosecutors was separatism, and not the lesser charge of inciting separatism. The separatism charge, which implies accusations of a clandestine organized effort, can often bring a long prison sentence or the death penalty, Mr. Li said.
Xinjiang has suffered a rash of deadly attacks by discontented Uighurs, and the violence has worsened this year, prompting the government to vow harsher punishment. The Chinese Communist Party leader, Xi Jinping, has vowed to eradicate the threat through overwhelming security as well as education and economic policies aimed at assimilating Uighurs into the broader Chinese society.Xinjiang has suffered a rash of deadly attacks by discontented Uighurs, and the violence has worsened this year, prompting the government to vow harsher punishment. The Chinese Communist Party leader, Xi Jinping, has vowed to eradicate the threat through overwhelming security as well as education and economic policies aimed at assimilating Uighurs into the broader Chinese society.
On Wednesday, a court in Qapqal County, Xinjiang, announced guilty verdicts and prison sentences of three to 14 years against nine people charged with organizing, leading or participating in terrorist violence, said the website of the People’s Daily newspaper. The report did not specify their ethnicity, but their distinctive names indicated that they were Uighur.On Wednesday, a court in Qapqal County, Xinjiang, announced guilty verdicts and prison sentences of three to 14 years against nine people charged with organizing, leading or participating in terrorist violence, said the website of the People’s Daily newspaper. The report did not specify their ethnicity, but their distinctive names indicated that they were Uighur.
If Mr. Tohti is tried and found guilty of inciting separatism or similar charges, he could face punishment ranging from many years in prison to the death penalty.
Mr. Li said Mr. Tohti told him that soon after he was detained, he went on a hunger strike for about 10 days to protest his treatment. Police interrogators deprived him of food for another 10 days or so, in the wake of a deadly assault at a train station in southwest China in early March, when attackers believed to be Uighur separatists used knives and daggers to slash to death at least 29 people.Mr. Li said Mr. Tohti told him that soon after he was detained, he went on a hunger strike for about 10 days to protest his treatment. Police interrogators deprived him of food for another 10 days or so, in the wake of a deadly assault at a train station in southwest China in early March, when attackers believed to be Uighur separatists used knives and daggers to slash to death at least 29 people.
“He got by on water for 10 days both times,” said Mr. Li. “He said he hasn’t been beaten, but because of the hunger and poor health, he feels it’s been very hard. He said his spirits have improved but his memory has weakened.”“He got by on water for 10 days both times,” said Mr. Li. “He said he hasn’t been beaten, but because of the hunger and poor health, he feels it’s been very hard. He said his spirits have improved but his memory has weakened.”