In a significant display of solidarity and international support, over 180 high-ranking officials and experts have collectively nominated the imprisoned Uyghur academic and blogger Ilham Tohti for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024.
The nomination, which spans ministers, parliamentarians, university rectors, and professors from various nations such as Canada, Japan, Rwanda, Australia, Paraguay, Turkey, and France, forms a diverse and broad international coalition. These supporters consider Tohti a poignant symbol of the Uyghur people’s ongoing struggle for freedom under the rule of China in Xinjiang.
Tohti, an outspoken economics professor, garnered attention for his vocal criticism of Beijing’s ethnic policies and his dedication to fostering peaceful interethnic dialogue between the Uyghur minority and China’s Han Chinese majority.
However, in 2014, he was sentenced to life in prison on charges of promoting separatism, following a two-day show trial that cited his interviews with overseas media outlets and his work with the Chinese-language website Uighurbiz.net, subsequently shut down by Chinese authorities.
The recent Nobel Peace Prize nomination comes on the heels of the one-year anniversary of the December 9, 2021, ruling by an independent Uyghur Tribunal, which concluded that China had perpetrated genocide against the Uyghur people. The growing international consensus on nominating Tohti is seen as a strategic move to bolster his chances of securing the prestigious award.
Initiative leaders Vanessa Frangville from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, and Belgian MP Samuel Cogolati believe that the nomination, backed by a diverse range of supporters, will amplify Tohti’s profile as a symbol of the Uyghur people’s fight for freedom.
They stress the importance of breaking the silence surrounding China’s totalitarian regime, especially in light of the United Nations denouncing ‘crimes against humanity’ in Xinjiang.
The nomination also follows Tohti’s previous shortlistings for the Peace Prize in 2020 and 2023. Notable supporters of the current nomination include Kenneth Roth, former director of Human Rights Watch and co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, and U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, who serves as the chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
In an interview with RFA Uyghur, Samuel Cogolati emphasized the unprecedented nature of the initiative, uniting political figures and academic leaders from around the world.
He highlighted the collective commitment to raising awareness and condemning atrocities, especially at a time when China seeks to suppress public intellectuals like Ilham Tohti.
Cogolati acknowledged the potential impact of China’s influence on international institutions, citing the trade sanctions imposed on Norway in 2010 after the Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to Chinese democracy activist Liu Xiaobo. However, he underscored the importance of prioritizing peace, life, dignity, and freedom over political pressure.
Tohti’s daughter, Jewher Ilham, expressed hope that a Nobel Peace Prize win for her father in 2024 would send a powerful message to the Chinese government, emphasizing that he has not been forgotten.
She believes such recognition would compel Beijing to provide proof of life for the long-jailed scholar and demonstrate that the Nobel Peace Committee remains independent and impervious to political pressure.
Sophie Richardson, China Director at Human Rights Watch, echoed these sentiments, stating that the Nobel Committee is capable of withstanding pressure, as evidenced by the 2010 award to Liu Xiaobo. Richardson emphasized the potential positive impact of a Peace Prize for Tohti, not just for Uyghurs but for all individuals who have suffered oppression at the hands of the Chinese government.
Tohti, despite his incarceration, has received over ten international human rights awards since 2014, underscoring his enduring influence and commitment to advocating for human rights, peace, and justice.
The current Nobel Peace Prize nomination further amplifies the global call for justice and recognition of Tohti’s extraordinary contributions in the face of oppression.
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