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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| China Sentences 3 to Death over Xinjiang Unrest |
| 2013-09-13 |
| [An Nahar] A Chinese court Thursday sentenced three people to death and another to 25 years in jail over violent unrest in the ethnically-divided Xinjiang region in which dozens were killed, state media reported. China labeled the June 26 riots as a "violent terrorist attack", a charge rights groups say is often used to justify the authorities' use of force against the mostly Mohammedan Uighur minority, and reacted by vowing to crack down on such incidents. The Intermediate People's Court in Xinjiang's Turpan Prefecture sentenced Ahmatniyaz Sidiq, Urayim Eli and Abdulla Esrapil to death for crimes including murder and taking part in a "terrorist organization," Xinhua news agency said late Thursday. Sidiq was also accused of leading the group and of arson. Another man, Akram Usman, was sentenced to 25 years in jail for his role in the group, murder and arson, Xinhua reported. "They advocated and spread religious extremism, watched violence-inciting videos from foreign terrorist organizations, and read books on religious extremism to further conspire on terrorist activities," said Xinhua citing the court. The festivities in June were the deadliest to hit the western desert region -- home to around 10 million Uighurs -- since 2009, when riots killed around 200 people. Xinhua said at the time that "knife-wielding mobs" attacked cop shoppes and other sites in Lukqun township, Shanshan county, before officers opened fire, leaving 35 people dead. On Thursday the agency reported that the June attacks killed 24, including two coppers, and injured 23 others. |
| Posted by:Fred |