China, September 25: A COURT in China’s restive northwestern Xinjiang region has charged 21 suspects over deadly July riots, state media said, the first reported criminal charges to emerge from the unrest.
The charges included homicide, arson, robbery and property damage, Xinhua news agency said on Friday, quoting a court in the Xinjiang regional capital of Urumqi.
Urumqi erupted in chaos on July 5 as members of the ethnic Uighur minority – most of whom are Muslims – went on a rampage in attacks directed mainly at members of China’s dominant Han ethnic group.
The violence left nearly 200 people dead, mainly Han, according to government figures.
Most of the defendants identified by Xinhua appeared to have Uighur names.
—Agencies