25 imprisoned on terror charges

Twenty-five people have been given sentences ranging from three years to life in prison on terrorism-related charges in a court in Alar, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The People's Court Daily said on Tuesday that the 25 were found guilty of charges related to their involvement in organizing, leading or participating in terrorism groups in Xinjiang and were sentenced on Friday.

Emet Yiming and Memet Rozi, who were sentenced to life in prison, and three others established an illegal religious group that preached jihad and other violent, extremist ideologies. They recruited members by holding illegal religious activities.

Some members bought knives and explosive devices for potential attacks on police stations and government officials, said People's Court Daily, which is owned by China's Supreme People's Court.

Others were responsible for raising funds for terrorism efforts or helping fugitives flee from justice.

Zhang Chunxian, Party chief of the region, said at a regional conference on Sunday that the country's fight against terrorism is at a critical point and the situation is complicated and grim.

He said Xinjiang should improve its strategic and tactical capabilities. He added that the region should beef up its crackdown and its education, information and civil publicity work.

China launched a one-year nationwide campaign against terrorism on May 23, with Xinjiang as the campaign's focus, after a series of violent and deadly attacks by terrorists and religious extremists.

In the following month, 32 groups were cracked down on and more than 380 suspects arrested. In early June, 81 people were sentenced on terror-related charges, nine of whom were sentenced to death for terrorism, homicide and arson.

Three terrorists who launched an attack in Beijing's Tian'anmen Square in 2013 were sentenced to death in mid-June after they were convicted of organizing and leading a terrorist group and endangering public security with dangerous methods.

Alar, the city in Aksu prefecture where the court is located, is a division under the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a unique economic and semi-military governmental organization administered by both the central government and the government of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Gao Bo in Urumqi contributed to this story.