This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On October 23, 2019, the European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize to Ilham Tohti, a Uighur professor sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for 'separatism' in a trial that sparked international outcry.
Ilham Tohti's daughter, Jewher Ilham, received the prize in his absence, seated next to a symbolic empty chair at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
"The last time I heard about my father was in 2017, when a family visit was granted to him," Ilham said, expressing her concern for her father's well-being.
China has faced growing criticism for its treatment of the Uighur population in Xinjiang, with rights groups estimating over one million people have been detained in camps aimed at assimilating them into the Han culture.
Ilham Tohti's UighurOnline website, which promoted social issues and moderation, was a platform for fostering understanding between communities in the region.
Ilham expressed hope for her father's release, citing the example of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was also awarded the Sakharov Prize while behind bars.
The EU's diplomatic chief, Josep Borrell, tweeted his support for the Sakharov Prize, reaffirming the bloc's commitment to human rights.
