Uyghur Businessman Elijan Ismail Sentenced to 18 Years for Charity Donations in China
Beijing, China – Elijan Ismail, a Uyghur entrepreneur and founder of Xinjiang Sadaqet Bio-Technology Co. Ltd., has been sentenced to 18 years in prison. Ismail was arrested for performing ‘Zakat’, a yearly donation practice in Islam.
Who is Elijan Ismail?
Elijan Ismail is a prominent Uyghur businessman who started his company in Maralbexi, Xinjiang, and later moved to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. He became well-known for his charitable donations, especially to political prisoners and those needing medical attention.
Why Was He Arrested?
According to Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU), a Washington-based Uyghur rights organization, Ismail was arrested in 2017 and later sentenced for ‘inciting separatism’. The Chinese authorities claimed that his donations were supporting families of political prisoners, which they labeled as an ‘ethnic separatist group’.
Reactions and Statements
CFU questioned the justification of the arrest by the Chinese government, calling it a move by the ‘criminal communist regime’. Abduweli Ayup, founder of Uyghur Help, stated that Ismail was part of a group of businessmen who made charitable donations, which has been forbidden in Xinjiang since 2016.
Impact and Further Arrests
The case highlights the Chinese authorities’ efforts to monitor and control the Uyghur ethnic group. Around 20 people were arrested in connection with Ismail’s case, and none have been released. The length of their sentences remains unknown.
Doubts Revealed
Uyghur -: Uyghurs are a group of people who mostly live in the Xinjiang region of China. They have their own language and culture, which is different from the majority of people in China.
Elijan Ismail -: Elijan Ismail is a businessman from the Uyghur community. He started a company called Xinjiang Sadaqet Bio-Technology Co. Ltd.
Zakat -: Zakat is a practice in Islam where Muslims give a part of their money to help people in need. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Xinjiang Sadaqet Bio-Technology Co. Ltd. -: This is a company started by Elijan Ismail. It is located in the Xinjiang region of China.
inciting separatism -: Inciting separatism means encouraging people to break away from the country and form a new, separate country. In this case, Elijan Ismail was accused of this because his donations were seen as supporting political prisoners.
Campaign for Uyghurs -: Campaign for Uyghurs is an organization that works to protect the rights of Uyghur people. They speak out against unfair treatment of Uyghurs in China.
political prisoners -: Political prisoners are people who are put in jail because of their political beliefs or actions. In this case, they are Uyghurs who have been imprisoned by the Chinese government.
Xinjiang -: Xinjiang is a region in the northwest part of China. It is home to many Uyghur people.
