A court in China sentences a famed Uyghur scholar to life in prison, foundation says

By DAKE KANG
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — A human rights foundation says a prominent Uyghur scholar specializing in the study of her people’s folklore and traditions has been sentenced to life in prison in China. The San Francisco-based Dui Hua Foundation says Rahile Dawut was convicted on charges of endangering state security in December 2018 in a secret trial. She appealed but her conviction was upheld. Dawut was a professor at Xinjiang University and one of hundreds of prominent intellectuals detained in the western Xinjiang region. Critics say the government has targeted intellectuals as a way to dilute or even erase Uyghur culture, language and identity.