The European Parliament has awarded the “Sakharov Prize for human rights” to Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti.
He has been unfairly sentenced to life imprisonment in China for “separatism”.
The outspoken former Professor of economics at a Beijing university was sentenced in 2014.
European Parliament head David Sassoli urged China to immediately release Ilham Tohti and called for the respect of minority rights (Muslims) in China.
Uighurs
The Uighurs are a Muslim ethnic minority mostly based in China’s Xinjiang province.
They make up around 45% of the population there.
Xinjiang is officially designated as an autonomous region within China, like Tibet to its south.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have submitted reports to the UN committee documenting claims of ‘mass imprisonment of Uighurs’.
The World Uyghur Congress said in its report that ‘detainees’ are held indefinitely without any charge.