Separated by a glass wall, Gülnur and Alimjan's two sons stared at their father for the first time in over two years. On April 20, prison authorities in Kashgar, in the northwestern Chinese province of Xinjiang, allowed Uyghur Christian prisoner Alim to visit his wife, children, mother and sister. The visit was brief, just 15 minutes, but it was the first personal contact the family had had with Alim since he was first detained in January 2008.
Alim's mother was very emotional. She encouraged her son to be strong, and Alim comforted her too. His spirit seemed to be strong and he encouraged his wife and children with the words: "Be strong and of good courage! I know that this is God's training for me."
Alim's ten-year-old son prays for his father
Alim's ten-year-old son expressed mixed feelings during the visit. He was grateful to see his father after two years and three months of separation, but he was very disappointed that his father was still stuck "in that place," unable to return home with them. Gülnur has watched her son pray for Alim every night that God would free him from prison and bring him home. Despite the pain, she remains grateful for her son's strong faith.
Dr. Li Baiguang and Liu Peifu, Alim's defense lawyers, were prohibited by the authorities from meeting with him just days before the family visit, even after receiving permission from the Xinjiang Prison Administration. Gülnur contacted the lawyers as soon as she heard they would be allowed a visit, but after almost a week of working in Xinjiang, the lawyers were already at the airport on their way to Beijing.
Worst cases of persecution
Dr. Li Baiguang sees Alim's case as one of the worst cases of religious persecution in the last 20 years. Disappointed that the Xinjiang High Court had rejected Alim's appeal, which was filed in January, the defense now plans to appeal to the Beijing High Court.
Alimjan Yimit, or Alimujiang Yimiti as his name sounds in Chinese, was detained on 12 January 2008 on two charges: 1) Encouraging separatism (Uyghurs are a Turkish, predominantly Muslim ethnic group with a strong independence movement); 2) Illegally passing state secrets to foreign organizations. The first charge was later dropped, but the second was upheld during the trial on July 28, 2009. The sentence was handed down in a secret court hearing on August 6, 2009 and was 15 years in prison. The sentence has been described by independent human rights observers as baseless, as not a single piece of evidence was presented. They conclude that Alim has been imprisoned solely because he is a Christian from a Muslim community and because he likes to tell other Uyghurs about Jesus. Preaching Christianity among Muslim and Tibetan Buddhist communities is not allowed according to guidelines issued by a local government body, although they do not have the status of law.
Danish European Mission's partner organization, ChinaAid, thanks the many people around the world who have prayed for Alimjan, Gülnur and his family. As Alim's case progresses, ChinaAid is committed to seeking justice for him.
Join the campaign to free Alim
A campaign called Free Alim! (Free Alim!) to get Alim released.
Write an encouraging letter to Alim in prison:
Mr. Alimujiang Yimiti
c/o Danish European Mission, Drejervej 15, 2400 Copenhagen NV
Do not mention the Danish European Mission in the letter and do not criticize the Chinese authorities.
