Rahile Dawut
Rahile dawut is a Uyghur scholar and expert on Uyghur culture, folklore, and traditions who was sentenced to life in prison in China in 2023. Dawut is considered one of the most important scholars on Uyghur culture, and has published internationally and worked with scholars around the world. She was also a member of the Communist Party, but her work on Uyghur folklore conflicted with the Chinese government’s campaign to assimilate the people of Xinjiang. Dawut disappeared in 2017 along with other prominent Uyghur intellectuals and academics who were targeted by the Chinese government in its efforts to suppress Uyghur cultural identity. As of February 2024, Scholars at Risk expressed concern about Dawut’s wrongful sentence and her whereabouts.
