The U.S. government is now condemning China after rumors about Rahile Dawut being put to life imprisonment arose.
Because of this, the United States is demanding Beijing for the immediate release of the Uygur scholar.
US Demands China to Release Uygur Scholar After Rumors of Life Imprisonment
According to The South China Morning Post, Rahile Dawut, a prominent Uygur intellectual, is allegedly sentenced to life.
The U.S.-based Dui Hua Foundation rights group stated that her life imprisonment was confirmed after she appealed against a 2018 conviction.
Unfortunately, the 57-year-old professor lost her appeal in September. Because of this, rumors about her life imprisonment began circulating on the internet.
Now, the U.S. House Select Committee on the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) said that they strongly condemn the alleged life sentence.
"Professor Dawut and all other illegally imprisoned individuals must be released immediately," said the House Select Committee on China on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesman, also shared his opinion, saying that the life sentence against Dawut is just a part of China's efforts to eradicate Uygur identity and culture.
Aside from this, Miller also said that the case of Dawut is Beijing's effort to undermine the academic freedom of the Uygur people.
Via BBC News, the Dui Hua Foundation claims that China already detained over one million Uygur against their will over the past few years. The human rights organization added that this has been done in a large network of what China calls "re-education camps."
"The sentencing of Professor Rahile Dawut is a cruel tragedy, a great loss for the Uyghur people, and for all who treasure academic freedom," said the Dui Hua Foundation.
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Who is Rahile Dawut?
Rahile Dawut is a prominent folklorist and anthropologist, who has been missing since December 2017.
Before she disappeared, the Uygur academic was teaching at the Xinjiang University. She was known for her meticulous records of Uygur structures, oral epic poetry, and religious traditions.
The Dui Hua Foundation claims that Rahile Dawut is serving a life sentence because of "splittism," which China considers a crime of endangering state security.
But, many of Dawut's fellow scholars said that the woman was apolitical and moderate. These are just some of the details you need to know about Rahile Dawut.
You can click this link to learn more about the Uygur academic.
