China rejects human rights award for separatist teacher

China on Wednesday expressed strong dissatisfaction that the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders was granted to Chinese separatist teacher Ilham Tohti.

Uygur teacher Ilham Tohti, who was sentenced to life in prison for separatist activities in 2014, was named the recipient of the accolade on Tuesday by rights groups in Geneva, Switzerland.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Ilham Tohti's criminal activity was supported by solid evidence.

"While a teacher, he used to openly call terrorists and extremists 'heroes,' and deluded and coerced people to go abroad and engage in East Turkistan separatist activities," Geng said.

Ilham Tohti had planned and organized a series of separatist criminal activities, he added.

The spokesperson said his trial was held with strict adherence to Chinese law, adding China's internal affairs and judicial sovereignty cannot be interfered with.

Stressing that the case of Ilham Tohti has nothing to do with human rights, Geng said what he did was "to justify terrorist acts, divide the nation and incite hatred, which is intolerable for any country."

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein attended the award ceremony.

Geng said the attendance of the senior UN official, "severely goes against the principles and purposes of the UN Charter" and "interferes in China's domestic affairs."

"Some international forces ignore the crimes committed by separatists or terrorists on the Chinese people and deliberately [label the issue] human rights. This is a desecration and travesty of human rights and rule of law," said Geng. Endi