Life in jail for fighting discrimination. Free Ilham now.
Ilham Tohti is a well-respected university professor who was taken from his home in Beijing by Police.
For five months, family and friends were not told where he was. He was denied food for 10 days, and had his feet in shackles for 20 days straight. Then in September 2014 he was given a life sentence - supposedly for stirring up ethnic hatred.
Ilham comes from the Uighur community, a largely Muslim ethnic group that faces widespread discrimination.
He's worked tirelessly to build bridges between ethnic communities in China. He always opposed violence in his writing and lectures, and sought to encourage cooperation and understanding.
Now he's being cruelly punished for peacefully challenging the Chinese government's policies towards ethnic minorities.
He mustn't spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Call on the Chinese authorities to put an end to his suffering, and to release him immediately and unconditionally.
Dear Director Fan Jun,
I am very concerned for university professor, Ilham Tohti, who worked tirelessly to build bridges between ethnic communities in China and now is serving a life sentence.
I call on you to:
- release Ilham Tohti immediately and unconditionally
- while he remains detained, ensure he is not tortured or ill-treated, receives independent medical treatment as he may need, and is moved to a prison closer to his family.
[Your comments here]
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
