Contact: Katherine Cason, 267-210-8278, Katherine@ChinaAid.org; Washington DC contact: Jenny McCloy, 202-213-0506, Jenny@ChinaAid.org; www.ChinaAid.org, www.MonitorChina.org

 

HENAN, Mar. 17 /Standard Newswire/ -- According to an inside source, the case of Alimujiang Yimiti, a Uyghur Christian whom authorities have held in detention since January 12, 2008 for preaching Christianity, has been sent to a Communist Party committee at the highest government level in Xinjiang Uyghur Antonymous Region. This committee, which is the final arbitrator on all cases among the law enforcement agencies in the region, will make the final decision on Alimujiang's case. 

  

Alimujiang's court trial was on May 27, 2008 and the verdict was that his case should be returned to the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) prosecutors because of "insufficient evidence" against him. Since Alimujiang's trial, authorities have not allowed his family to see him and have been passing the case back and forth between law enforcement agencies.
 
ChinaAid recently received a letter from Guli Nuer, the wife of Alimujiang Yimiti. She wrote: 
 
"Alimujiang ... has been a believer of Jesus for 14 years. Belief in Jesus has made great changes in Alimujiang's life and has made him really a good citizen who loves his country and his people. ...
 
"It has been almost one year and two months since Alimujiang was taken away. As for how we, his family members, feel, it is hard to describe in words. In these 14 months, especially since May 27, 2008, there has been no news about him at all and there has been no communication with him, either. Though only a wall separates us, yet we feel he is so far away from us.  As all the efforts of the family members have produced no results ... at least, they should let us meet him and hopefully report that he is doing okay. I can't imagine how he feels when he knows that we have been going here and there all the time, only to see our hopes are dashed again and again, and he doesn't have any news about his family and the outside world." 
 
Soon lawyers will travel from Beijing and petition to meet with Alimujiang. Sources report that Alimujiang is highly respected in the prison and is praised by people there. He insists on his innocence and adheres to his Christian beliefs. Since Alimujiang's imprisonment, his wife has been taking care of their two young sons and negotiating with government agencies in the hope that the government will handle this case impartially, expediently and in accordance with the law.
 
Contact the following Chinese government offices to express your concern for Alimujiang Yimiti:

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