Tohti Tunyaz
Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region
Professional background:
Tohti Tunyaz (pen-name: Tohti Muzart) is an ethnic Uighur historian and writer.
Tohti graduated from the history department of the Central Institute of Nationalities,
Beijing, in 1984 and was assigned to work for the China National Standing Committee.
During this time he reportedly formed a close relationship with former Xinjiang
governors Seyfundin Eziz and Ismail Emet, and was involved in the translation
of Eziz's works. Tohti began studying for his PhD at Tokyo University's School
of Humanities in Japan in 1995, specializing in Uighur history and ethnic relations.
He has reportedly published several papers on Uighur history in Japan, and has
published a book in Beijing.
Case history:
Tohti Tunyaz was first arrested on February 6, 1998, a few weeks into a trip
to Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region for research purposes. His only proven
"crime" appears to be that of obtaining and copying part of a 50-year-old
document for his research with the help of an official librarian, which the
authorities claimed was "theft of classified information."
On November 10, 1998, Chinese authorities charged Tohti with "stealing
state secrets for foreign persons" and "inciting national disunity,"
the latter charge allegedly for publishing a book in Japan in 1998 entitled
The Inside Story of the Silk Road . According to the Chinese government the
book advocates ethnic separation; scholars in Japan, however, insist no such
book exists. He was convicted by the Urumqi Intermediate People's Court on March
10, 1999, and following an appeal, was sentenced by China's Supreme Court on
February 15, 2000 to 11 years in prison with an additional two years' deprivation
of political rights. In December 2001, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention issued an official opinion declaring Mr. Tohti to be arbitrarily detained.
Current status:
Tohti Tunyaz is currently serving his 11-year sentence in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous
Region Prison No. 3 in the provincial capital of Urumqi. He has a wife and children
in Japan. It is reported that he has exhausted his appeals and will therefore
remain incarcerated until his sentence expires on March 31, 2009.
Tohti Tunyaz is also an Honorary Member of the Canadian, Catalan, English,
Japanese, Lichtenstein and Perth PEN Centers. In 2002 he was the recipient of
a PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award.
PEN considers Tohti Tunyaz to be detained in violation of his right
to freedom of expression and association as guaranteed by Articles 19 of the
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is calling for his
immediate and unconditional release. |
