CHINESE AUTHORTIES SENTENCE UYGHUR AUTHOR TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON

  • 25/04/2021

Chinese authorities in the northwest region of Xinjiang have sentenced an Uyghur author, whose work was targeted in a book burning campaign, to 20 years in prison, according to officials.Ahtam Omer, who wrote a short story collection titled Child of the Eagle, had been missing since early 2017 . Omer was detained in 2017 in Kashgar prefecture, a month after his brother and nephew. Giving a reason for detention, the authorities had said Omer had sent his elder brother's son to study in Egypt and sent money to him.

"Ahtam Omer was detained and taken from his home on March 12, 2017," the source said on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.According to reports, Omer was charged with "separatism" and sentenced to prison in a secret trial in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi in late 2018. Several of Omer's works, including Child of the Eagle, were burned by authorities in early 2020.This decision was made in view of the book's growing impact on Uyghur society because of its focus on the themes of freedom and the spirit of struggle.

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