KASHGAR, China — Chinese authorities have quietly sentenced Uyghur Christian Alimjan Yimit (Alimujiang Yimiti in Chinese) to 15 years in prison on the apparently contrived charge of “providing state secrets to overseas organizations,” according to China Aid Association (CAA).
The charge against the 36-year-old house church leader, held for more than two years at Kashgar Detention Center in China’s troubled Xinjiang region, was based on innocuous interviews he granted to media outside of China, according to his lawyer, Li Dunyong.
“The 15-year sentence is far more severe than I originally expected,” Li said in a CAA press statement released Dec. 7. “It is the maximum penalty for this charge of ‘divulging state secrets,’ which requires Alimujiang’s actions to be defined as having ‘caused irreparable national grave damage.’”
CAA President Bob Fu said Alimujiang’s sentence was the most severe for a house church leader in nearly a decade.
“The whole world should be appalled at this injustice against innocent Christian leader Alimujiang,” Fu said in the CAA statement.
“We call upon the U.N. and people of conscience throughout the world to strongly protest to the Chinese government for this severe case of religious persecution.”
Share with others: