A people's intermediate court in China has reportedly sentenced a prominent Uighur scholar to life imprisonment after declaring him guilty of separatism following a two-day trial that ended last week.
Ilham Tohti had spoken out on China's policies towards the Muslim Uighur minority in the restive Xinjiang province and had been an outspoken advocate of building bridges between the Uighur community and Han Chinese but had denied being a separatist, reported the BBC.
Tohti's lawyer, Li Fangping, said that the he would be filing an appeal. He also added that Tohti had earlier said that nomatter what the verdict is, he will not be angry or seek revenge but will fight for bridging the gap between the two communities.
The court has also ordered all of Tohti's money and property seized.
The report said that China is taking a tougher stance amid rising Xinjiang-linked violence.
While Amnesty International termed the verdict "deplorable," the European Union, the United Nations and the United States called for his release.
