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 appealed but her conviction was upheld, the foundation said.
For years, her exact status was unknown, as Chinese authorities didn't disclose her whereabouts or the nature of the charges against her. That changed this month when the Dui Hua Foundation saw a Chinese government document disclosing that Dawut was sentenced to life in prison. She is one of over 400 prominent academics, writers, performers and artists detained in Xinjiang, advocacy groups say. Critics say the government has targeted intellectuals as a way to dilute, or even erase, Uyghur culture, language and identity.
Dawut's daughter, Akeda Pulati, said she was stunned by the news and called on the Chinese authorities to release her mother.