Ivy Tech student works to free imprisoned father in China

BLOOMINGTON – Jewher Ilham, a full-time student at Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus will host an open discussion about her battle to free her father, who is imprisoned in China for human rights activism. Jewher will speak at Ivy Tech Bloomington on Monday, March 28 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Lamkin Hall.

Jewher came to Bloomington in February 2013 at the age of 18. Planning to help her father, economist Ilham Tohti, begin his work as a visiting scholar at Indiana University, she arrived alone after he was detained at the airport in Beijing. Tohti is now imprisoned for his human rights activism on behalf of the Uyghur ethnic minority, a Muslim ethnic minority from Western China.

Jewher now advocates for her father’s release and continues his work for human rights from within the United States. She has testified before Congress, been featured in the New York Times and other major newspapers, and recently published a book titled Jewher Ilham: A Uyghur’s Fight to Free Her Father.

Jewher was born in Beijing, where her mother, step-mother, and two younger brothers reside. She is a full-time general studies student at Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus, where she is a member of the International Student Club. She has also attended Indiana University.

Ivy Tech’s Bloomington campus is growing in international and guest student enrollment and currently has more than 100 full-time international students, and more than 1,000 guest students. Many international students are enrolled at Indiana University and take courses at Ivy Tech as guest students, so they can earn more credits and transfer them back to IU. Registration is open for summer classes that begin May 23 and fall classes that begin August 22. To enroll visit www.ivytech.edu/apply-now or guest students can enroll at www.ivytech.edu/guest.