Gopur Abdurreshit, 51, was arrested on Feb. 1 for disclosing information about Tohti, an economist and professor who is serving a life sentence on separatism-related charges, said a person familiar with the matter who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals.
Tohti, now 54, taught economics at Central University for Nationalities in Beijing. Some of his research focused on Han Chinese-Uyghur relations, and he advocated for the implementation of greater regional autonomy in Xinjiang, where 12 million Uyghurs live. Authorities arrested Tohti in January 2014 and prosecutors accused him of promoting Uyghur independence. After a two-day show trial, a court sentenced him to life in prison in September of that year.
