Ilham Khan , a prominent Uyghur scholar , was charged with ` ` separatism '' Detained by police in January , he was taken to his native province of Xinjiang . ` He went on a hunger strike for some 10 days in January after they refused to provide him with Muslim food , '' Li said . Police said they gathered firm evidence of him colluding with overseas forces to ` ` spread separatist propaganda '' Khan 's lawyers have said that the scholar failed to emphasize his innocence .
Ilham Khan , a prominent Uyghur scholar , was charged with ` ` separatism '' Detained by police in January , he was taken to his native province of Xinjiang . Police said they gathered firm evidence of him colluding with overseas forces to ` ` spread separatist propaganda '' Khan 's lawyers have said that the scholar failed to emphasize his innocence .