Uyghur Christian Alimujiang Yimiti was released from prison after his 15-year sentence. While other details are unconfirmed, the Uyghur house church pastor is home with his family.
Alimujiang Yimiti, also known as Alim, converted from Islam to Christianity in 1995 and served as a house church pastor to Uyghurs in Kashgar, Xinjiang, also known as East Turkistan. His work in Xinjiang caused the authorities to target him as the Chinese government began to scrutinise Uyghurs in the area.
In 2007, authorities initially accused Alim of using his business to “infiltrate” Christian ideology into Kashgar.
Alim was criminally detained on 12 January 2008, for “inciting separatism” and “unlawfully providing state secrets to overseas organisations” due to a conversation he had with an American colleague, possibly about his interaction with authorities in 2007.
Two times before his final sentencing in August 2009, the Court in Kashgar secretly tried Alim. After the first trial, they decided there was not enough evidence to convict him. The prosecution decided to drop his separatism charge and tried him a second time a year later. For both secret trials, Alim’s family was prohibited from attending.
Since Alim’s trial and conviction, the world has come to know about China’s crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. An estimated 1-2 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other ethnic minorities are kept in concentration camps. According to witness testimonies in the Uyghur Tribunal in 2021, prisoners were forcefully sterilised, tortured, and “re-educated”.
Pray Alim will experience the Lord’s ministering presence to help him overcome the experience he suffered during his lengthy time in prison.
Ask the Lord to assist Alim and his family to readjust to life together again. Pray for grace, patience and love over Alim’s loved ones and church family.
Pray that all Alim has endured will not be in vain but may be used by God for the spiritual strengthening of Alim and other believers in China.
Source: ChinaAid, Voice of the Martyrs AU