EU trip to Xinjiang ‘in stalemate’ over access to jailed Uygur academic Tohti, diplomat says

European diplomat says negotiations have stalled because of a request to visit the economist who is serving a life sentence on separatism charges

Chinese ambassador says the mission made ‘unacceptable requests’ by insisting on meeting a ‘criminal convicted by Chinese law’

Reading Time:2 minutes

Uygur academic Ilham Tohti was jailed for life on separatism charges in 2014. Photo: Ricky Wong

Published: 4:16pm, 17 Mar 2021Updated: 4:16pm, 17 Mar 2021

A visit by European Union ambassadors to the Xinjiang region of China has stalled over their request for access to jailed Uygur academic Ilham Tohti, a diplomatic source confirmed on Wednesday.

Since 2019, China says it has invited foreign diplomats and UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to visit Xinjiang, where rights groups allege more than 1 million Uygurs and other Muslim minorities are detained in internment camps.

But there has been little sign of progress.

A European diplomat said it was because the mission wants to visit Tohti, a Uygur economist jailed for life on separatism charges in 2014.

He received the Sakharov Prize – the EU’s top human rights award – in 2019.

“Negotiations are in a stalemate because of Tohti and other conditions,” the diplomat said. “I don’t think they are going soon.”

China’s ambassador to the European Union, Zhang Ming, on Tuesday said “almost everything had been arranged” for EU member states’ ambassadors to visit Xinjiang.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x