Contact: Katherine Cason, 267-210-8278, Katherine@ChinaAid.org; Washington DC contact: Jenny McCloy, 202-213-0506, Jenny@ChinaAid.org; www.ChinaAid.org, www.MonitorChina.org

 

XINJIANG, April 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- Uyghur Christian, Alimujiang Yimiti, who has been imprisoned for his faith and held for more than one year in a Kashgar, Xinjiang detention center was seen Tuesday morning around 10 a.m. (local time) at Nongsanshi Hospital in Kashgar. With hands bound and being roughly escorted by police and a prison doctor, he cried out to onlookers repeatedly in Chinese, "I'm sick. Tell my lawyer to come quickly to see me."

 

Photo: Alimujiang Yimiti
 
Only one week ago, on Monday, Alimujiang's Beijing-based lawyer met with him in anticipation of an upcoming trial expected next month. A previous trial, last May, resulted in the case being returned to the police for lack of evidence. The recent meeting with his attorney was only the second time anyone has been allowed to see Alimujiang since he was arrested in January of last year. According to his attorney, Alimujiang was in excellent health and good spirits.
 
ChinaAid sources say the sudden change in his health is suspicious, and that abuse and torture from prison authorities cannot be discounted as local officials are desperate to justify his detention in light of the increasing national embarrassment his case has become. The growing embarrassment, according to sources, is due, in part, to the fact that China is a country that officially claims to uphold religious freedom for all of its citizens, including its ethnic minorities.
 
China's state-run English-language newspaper, China Daily, reported last Tuesday in an uncharacteristically revealing article that China's police detention centers are rife with bullying and torture. China Daily reported that since February 8, five inmates have died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody. The New York Times report on the story stated, "The centers are officially run by the national public-security ministry, but are effectively controlled by local police officials who, one expert was quoted as saying, regard them 'as part of their turf and the most profitable piece of their territory.'"
 
Alimujiang Yimiti has been imprisoned at Kashi Municipal Detention center since January 12, 2008. He was first detained  on the charge of "endangering the security of the state," then was officially arrested on February 20, 2008 for "suspicion of inciting secession and organizing people in stealing, spying, buying and illegally providing state secrets or intelligence to overseas organizations."  However, sources say the real reason for his detention is because of his Christian faith and witness among the Uyghur people.
 
Sources report that Alimujiang is highly respected in the prison and is praised by people there. He insists on his innocence and adheres to his Christian beliefs. ChinaAid recently received a letter from Guli Nuer, the wife of Alimujiang Yimiti. She wrote: "Alimujiang ... has been a believer of Jesus for 14 years. Belief in Jesus has made great changes in Alimujiang's life and has made him really a good citizen who loves his country and his people. ..."
 
Alimujiang's wife, two young sons and family members are deeply concerned for his situation and urge that intervention be made immediately to ensure his legal and human rights be upheld according to China's rule of law.
 
Contact the following Chinese government offices to express your concern for Alimujiang Yimiti (pronounced A-leem'jan Yi-mit'). Offices are generally open 10a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. local time in China.
 
Kashi Governor Yalikum Maihemuti
Kashi Security Bureau: Tel. +86-998-2822048
Kashi People's Court: Tel +86-998-2822604
Kashi Nationality and Religious Affairs Committee: Tel. +86-998-2822391
Kashi Region Nationality and Religious Affairs Committee Chief Director/ Wang Chun Fu: Tel. +86-998-2823681
 
Secretary of Chinese Communist Party Wulamujiang Abuducador: Tel. +86-998-2838702
 
Law office of Xinjiang People's Government: Fax. +86-991-2803800 
 
Law Office of Kashgar People's Government: Fax. +86-998-2823579 
 
The People's Procurate of Xinjiang Autonomous Region: Tel. +86-991-2642000
 
The Supreme People's Court of Xinjiang: Tel. +86-991-5959301 or +86-991-5959480
 
The Office of Inspector General for Law Enforcement of China: Tel. +86-10-62251925 / Fax: +86-10-62254181

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