Chinese court reduces terms of 11 convicts in Xinjiang

2/3/2016 8:06:57 PM

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) A Chinese court in a troubled northwestern region home to the Uighur minority has commuted the sentences of 11 people including seven convicted of terrorism and “secessionist activities”.

The China Daily reported Wednesday that the politics and law committee of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region said the terms were reduced since the convicts “demonstrated repentance and regret”.

It also quoted Mutalifu Wubli the regional high court’s president as saying that among them were "criminals" who “jeopardized China's national security disrupted social stability and caused heavy losses of lives and property".

Among the seven who had their life sentences reduced to fixed terms were Memettohut Memetroz 42 accused of receiving “terrorist training” and setting up training camps in Afghanistan and of founding the East Turkestan Islamic Party.

Others included Yushanjon Jilili who the Daily reported had conducted “separatist and terrorist” activities through his role as an imam or Muslim leader and Memetjon Abudulkadeer convicted for recruiting members for separatist outfits through his post as a university teacher.

The terms of the remaining four were commuted by six months. Xinjiang is home to many ethnic minority groups including the Uighur who refer to the region as East Turkestan and consider it to be part of Central Asia not China.

Human rights organizations activists and analysts have said that they have been subject to religious cultural and language restrictions which have led them to flee China and helped fuel their demands for a separate state.

In September a state-sponsored white paper highlighted that public security organs in Xinjiang were on high alert for signs of violent attacks and terrorism in the region and should respond with a heavy crackdown.

In its World Report last year Human Rights Watch noted “reason for the government’s concern with violence” but warned that “discriminatory and repressive minority policies only exacerbate the problem”.

“Pervasive ethnic discrimination severe religious repression and increasing cultural suppression justified by the government in the name of the ‘fight against separatism religious extremism and terrorism’ continue to fuel rising tensions” it said.

Xinjiang’s chairman Shohrat Zakir expressed optimism Monday about the “great experience” the region has acquired in “transforming those imprisoned for crimes of endangering national security into responsible citizens” according to the Daily.

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