Uygur teacher sentenced to life in prison for forming separatist group

Ilham Tohti, a Uygur who is a former teacher at Minzu University in Beijing, was sentenced to life in prison for separatism by Urumqi Intermediate People's Court on Tuesday following a two-day trial last week.

The court also ordered all his personal property to be confiscated and deprived his political rights for life.

The court heard that the former teacher spread lessons containing separatist thoughts via the website, Uygur Online. He coerced students to work for the website and built a criminal syndicate, according to the ruling.

He organized the group to write, edit, translate and reprint articles seeking Xinjiang's separation from China.

The articles attacked China's ethnic, religious, economic and family planning policies, and incited ethnic hatred by distorting the causes of a number of riots and disputes that occurred in Xinjiang and Beijing, the court statement said.

It said using his website, Ilham encouraged fellow Uygurs to use violence. He colluded with foreign groups and individuals in hyping incidents related to Xinjiang with the aim of making domestic issues international.

Ilham was first brought to court by prosecutors at the end of July after police in Urumqi said there was conclusive evidence linking him to secessionist activities in January.

Urumqi police said in a statement in January that a meticulous investigation had proved that Ilham formed a separatist group and undertook separatist activities under the disguise of his identity.

The sentence came two days after a series of explosions killed two people and injured a number of others in several locations of Xinjiang's Beyinguoleng Mongolian autonomous prefecture.

The number of terror-related gangs busted in Xinjiang increased from about 140 in 2010 to more than 200 last year, according to regional authorities.

Since last year, terrorists have launched attacks in Xinjiang as well as Beijing and the southwestern city of Kunming, causing heavy casualties.

The trial will serve as a warning to those planning separatist acts that their behavior will be punished, said Zhen Zhenbang,a lawyer who attended the trial. "Teachers with such ideas must especially watch their words and behavior to avoid influencing young people in a bad way."

Police said Ilham used his status as a teacher to lure people into forming a group connected with key members of the overseas East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which is listed as a terrorist group and has had sanctions applied against it by the United Nations.

Ilham claimed his activities were in the name of the Uygur ethnic group, but he could not represent any Uygur individual or group, said Mahmut Abudwaili, deputy head of the History Institute under the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences.

Relatives of the defendant, including his wife, were present at the sentencing.

Ilham's family appointed two lawyers to defend him at the trial, which started on Sept 18 and was conducted in Mandarin instead of Uygur at the defendant's request, according to the court.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

gaobo@chinadaily.com.cn