By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent, in Beijing
A Chinese economics professor has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of "separatism" at a court in China.
Ilham Tohti, the country's most prominent Uighur Muslim scholar, was found guilty at the Intermediate People's Court in Urumqi, the capital of China's far-western Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
In a closed trial, off limits to foreign journalists and independent observers, the 44-year-old was accused of promoting independence in Xinjiang.
As he left the dock for a life in jail, Mr Tohti shouted, "It's not just! It's not just!", according to his lawyer, Li Fangping, who was in court.
Mr Li told Sky News: "This is a very harsh sentence. Ilham Tohti and we lawyers can't accept it at all.
Mr Tohti's sentence has been condemned by human rights groups "We have been defending him for innocence. Now he's been sentenced to life in prison, deprived of political rights for life, and confiscated of all possessions, it's really terrifying."
The EU released a statement calling for Mr Tohti's "immediate and unconditional" release.
It said: "The EU condemns the life sentence for alleged 'separatism' handed out today to Uighur economics professor Ilham Tohti, which is completely unjustified.
"The EU deplores that the due process of law was not respected, in particular with regard to the right to a proper defence."
Amnesty International called the verdict "deplorable" and Human Rights Watch said it was "unprecedented".
According to state prosecutors, Mr Tohti used a website, UighurOnline, which he ran with students at Beijing's Minzu University, to call for an independent state in Xinjiang. No evidence for these claims was produced by the court.
As well as a life sentence, Mr Tohti has had his assets confiscated, leaving his wife and two children with nothing. His wife Guzaili Nu'er was in court and broke down in tears as her husband was taken away.
The economics professor taught at Minzu University in Beijing "No matter what, we will appeal," his lawyer said.
As a member of China's minority Uighur Muslim population, Mr Tohti was a vocal but moderate critic of the Chinese government's policies in Xinjiang.
His imprisonment removes the only influential Uighur voice inside China. The length of the sentence has shocked his lawyers and rights groups.
"[This is] an incredibly harsh sentence, unprecedented for a prominent activist in China in recent memory," said Maya Wang from Human Rights Watch.
"This shameful judgement has no basis in reality. Ilham Tohti worked to peacefully build bridges between ethnic communities and for that he has been punished through politically motivated charges," said William Nee, from Amnesty International.
Nearly half of Xinjiang's 22 million people are Uighur Muslims, who claim they are persecuted by Han Chinese migrants from the rest of China.
They say their religious, cultural and economic freedoms are being eroded by the influx of Han Chinese.
The Chinese government says the Han Chinese are being threatened by a growing movement of Islamist extremism among the Uighur, a narrative strengthened in October when a Jeep, said to have been driven by Uighurs, ploughed into a group of tourists in Tiananmen Square.
Earlier this month, Sky News spent a week travelling in Xinjiang. We found no evidence of extremism but considerable resentment among the local population and anger at new policies banning beards, veils and in some cases, a ban on fasting during Ramadan.
The Communist government, who control the courts in China, has made no comment.
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