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Alimujiang Yimiti receives harshest sentence for a Chinese Christian in ten years The verdict was read to Alimujiang in prison on 27 October, following a secret trial on 28 July 2009, according to China Aid Association (CAA). The Uyghur Christian was convicted of “instigating separatism and revealing state secrets.” These charges have been disputed since he was arbitrarily detained on January 12, 2008. Those close to the case have maintained that the reason for his imprisonment is his Christian faith and witness among the Uyghur people. News of Alimujiang’s verdict comes as an apparent crack-down on house churches in China saw five house church leaders from Fushan church in Shanxi province sentenced to between three and seven years in prison, and five more detained for re-education through labour last month after protesting the destruction of their church building. Reports suggest house churches in Beijing and Shanghai are also under pressure.
Alim was charged with instigating separatism and stealing, penetrating, purchasing and illegally providing state secrets or intelligence to overseas organisations and individuals. Prior to his arrest, he worked as a project manager for Jirehouse, a British company, which in September 2007 was targeted in a series of closures of foreign companies belonging to Christians in Xinjiang, north west China. The Chinese Government initially accused him of illegal religious infiltration. These charges were later changed. Those close to Alim have consistently claimed that there was never any proof of wrongdoing and that he would not have had access to state secrets as an agricultural worker. In 2008, following CSW’s submission of the case, a UN Working Group defined Alim’s detention as “arbitrary,” contravening various rights entailed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Working Group also concluded that Alim was detained on account of his faith and called upon the Chinese Government to “take the necessary steps to remedy the situation.” His family were not allowed to attend the trial, and were told that Alim would not be released without charge. Reports have suggested the trial did not follow due process under Chinese or international law.
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