Munich [Germany], November 10 : Uyghur anthropologist Rahile Dawut has been honoured with the Award for Courage by the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation at the Freedom and Security Women Summit held at the German Bundestag, according to a post by the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) on X.
The WUC stated that its Executive Committee Chairwoman, Rushan Abbas, accepted the award on behalf of Dr. Dawut.
According to the WUC post, Dr. Dawut spent decades documenting Uyghur cultural life. Her work included studying sacred sites and pilgrimage routes, as well as working with colleagues to document women performing Sufi poetry in the Uyghur language.
At Xinjiang University, she founded a research centre and trained a generation of scholars to continue this work.
The organisation stated that Chinese authorities detained Dr. Dawut in December 2017. In 2023, it became known that she had been sentenced to life imprisonment. However, her whereabouts have yet to be publicly disclosed.
While honouring her academic contributions and scholarship, the WUC also expressed solidarity with Dr. Dawut's family.
The organisation called on Chinese authorities to disclose where she is being held, allow her to communicate with her family and release her immediately.
The Uyghur issue has remained a major international human rights concern, particularly over China’s policies in the Xinjiang Region. Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic communities have faced international scrutiny over allegations of arbitrary detention, restrictions on religious and cultural practices, family separation and forced labour.
The United Nations has raised concerns about serious human rights violations and called for greater protection of fundamental freedoms. Uyghur advocacy groups have also continued to highlight concerns over cultural identity and political freedoms. China rejects allegations of genocide and systematic abuse, maintaining that its Xinjiang policies are aimed at combating terrorism, extremism and separatism.