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Osman Imin has been released from prisonThank you for praying and campaigning on behalf of Uyghur church leaders Osman Imin and Alimjan Yimit. Osman Imin has now been released, but Alimjan Yimit remains in prison and continues to need your prayer. Osman Imin
Name: Osman Imin (male) Osman was released after serving two years in a labour camp for 'revealing state secrets' and 'illegal proselytising'. A house church leader in the troubled region of Xinjiang in northwest China, Osman was freed on 18 November 2009 having spent two years in detention. Local sources said his arrest was almost certainly related to his church work. Authorities had called for a 10-15 year prison sentence for Osman, but significantly reduced the term following international media attention. Osman was initially arrested in 2004 and tortured severely by police, chained to a metal bed in winter and beaten repeatedly. He was released on bail that same year, but re-arrested and sentenced in November 2007. Osman was denied access to his lawyer, and in June 2008 a court rejected his appeal without explanation. Authorities eventually moved Osman to a labour camp outside Kashgar, where he was forced to work 12 to 15 hours a day. His health deteriorated rapidly and he reportedly suffered from malnutrition throughout his confinement. Osman and his wife Nurgul have two young daughters. During Osman's imprisonment, Nurgul was able to visit her husband once a month – for only 30 minutes.
Sources: Please pray:
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