编辑：胡丽莉 责任编辑：罗志飞
伊力哈木·土赫提（Ilham Tohti），1969年10月25日出生于新疆克州阿图什市，维吾尔族人。他本科毕业于东北师范大学，之后在中央民族大学攻读经济学研究生，并留校任副教授，研究方向主要关注新疆地区的民族收入差距与区域发展问题。
2006年，他创办中文网站“维吾尔在线”（Uyghur Online / Uyghurbiz），致力于促进维汉对话、报道新疆社会问题，为不同民族之间提供一个交流的平台。他是一位温和、坚持非暴力、主张跨民族和平改革的经济学者，多年来通过教学、写作和网络活动，批评新疆政策并揭示人权问题，逐渐成为当局重点打压的对象。
自1994年起，他长期受到官方监视，1999年至2003年间被禁止授课，发表学术文章也受到限制。2009年因在其网站发布乌鲁木齐冲突中被捕、失踪维吾尔人的信息而被短暂拘押，后多次遭软禁与骚扰。2013年，他获美国印第安纳大学访问学者邀请，却被禁止出境，其女儿珠儿独自前往美国，引发国际关注。
2014年1月15日，伊力哈木·土赫提在北京被捕，随后被押送至新疆乌鲁木齐。官方指控他利用网站和课堂“煽动民族仇恨”和“策划分裂国家”。9月17日至18日，仅用两天时间完成审判，9月23日法院判其无期徒刑，剥夺政治权利终身并没收全部个人财产。
他的案件被广泛认为象征着中国对维吾尔知识分子和平表达权利的系统性打压。包括人权观察、国际特赦组织、美国国会-行政当局中国委员会等多个国际组织持续呼吁释放他，认为这是一起明显的政治迫害案件。
伊力哈木·土赫提也因此获得多项国际荣誉，包括：
2014年：芭芭拉·戈德史密斯自由写作奖（PEN America）
2016年：马丁·恩纳尔斯人权捍卫者奖
2019年：欧洲议会萨哈罗夫思想自由奖
2019年：瓦茨拉夫·哈维尔人权奖
2024年是他被判刑十周年，维吾尔人权项目等组织再次呼吁立即释放他，强调其案件是中国压制和平维权声音的典型案例。
Persecution Record：Ilham Tohti
Editor: Lily Hu
Honorary Editor: Zhifei Luo
Translation: Lily Hu
Ilham Tohti (伊力哈木·土赫提) was born on October 25, 1969, in Atush, Kizilsu Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. He is an ethnic Uyghur and a prominent economist. He completed his undergraduate studies at Northeast Normal University and pursued graduate studies in economics at Minzu University of China, where he later served as an associate professor. His academic focus centered on regional development and income disparities among ethnic groups in Xinjiang.
In 2006, Ilham founded the Chinese-language website Uyghur Online (维吾尔在线 / Uyghurbiz), which aimed to promote dialogue between Uyghurs and Han Chinese, report on social issues in Xinjiang, and provide a platform for cross-ethnic exchange. Known as a moderate voice committed to nonviolence and peaceful reform, Ilham used his teaching, writing, and online presence to critique government policies in Xinjiang and to raise awareness of human rights issues. His advocacy made him a long-term target of government repression.
Since 1994, Ilham Tohti had been under constant surveillance. Between 1999 and 2003, he was banned from teaching and restricted from publishing academic work. In 2009, he was briefly detained after posting information on his website about Uyghurs who were arrested or went missing during the Urumqi unrest. He continued to face frequent harassment and house arrest in the following years.
In 2013, Ilham received an invitation to serve as a visiting scholar at Indiana University in the United States. However, he was prevented from leaving the country at the Beijing airport. His teenage daughter, Jewher Ilham, was forced to travel alone to the U.S., sparking international concern.
On January 15, 2014, Ilham Tohti was arrested in Beijing and transferred to Urumqi, Xinjiang. Authorities accused him of “inciting ethnic hatred” and “advocating separatism” through his website and university lectures. His trial lasted only two days, from September 17 to 18, and on September 23, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, with lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all personal property.
His case is widely viewed as a symbol of China’s systematic suppression of peaceful expression by Uyghur intellectuals. Numerous international organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), have repeatedly called for his release, labeling the prosecution as politically motivated.
In recognition of his courage and advocacy, Ilham Tohti has received multiple international awards:
2014: Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award (PEN America)
2016: Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
2019: Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (European Parliament)
2019: Václav Havel Human Rights Prize
The year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of his sentencing. Human rights organizations such as the Uyghur Human Rights Project have renewed their calls for his immediate release, emphasizing that his case remains a defining example of the Chinese government’s repression of peaceful dissent among ethnic minorities.
