A former Muslim leader at China's largest mosque in the country's far-western Xinjiang region was incarcerated by Chinese authorities in 2017, accused of having spread extremism, sources close to the matter have said.
In addition to the person who led prayers in the mosque, other religious leaders have been also detained, the sources said Sunday, amid accusations that the Communist Party-led government has infringed on the human rights of the Muslim Uyghur minority in the region.
The former imam at the Id Kah mosque was sentenced to 15 years in prison, the sources said. China's move may come under fire from the United States and other democratic nations that have lambasted the alleged repression of the Uyghurs as amounting to a "genocide."