Chinese government sentences famed Uyghur scholar to life in prison, foundation says

By DAKE KANG
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — A prominent Uyghur scholar specializing in the study of her people’s folklore and traditions has been sentenced to life in prison, according to a U.S.-based foundation that works on human rights cases in China. Rahile Dawut was convicted on charges of endangering state security in December 2018 in a secret trial, the San Francisco-based Dui Hua Foundation said in a statement Thursday. Dawut was a professor at Xinjiang University, one of hundreds of prominent intellectuals detained in Xinjiang according to advocacy groups. Critics say the government has targeted intellectuals as a way to dilute, or even erase, Uyghur culture, language and identity.