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Tohti had been in jail since January 2014.
A court in China convicted a prominent Uyghur academic of separatism and sentenced him to life in prison, his lawyer said.
Ilham Tohti has criticized the government’s policies towards the Uyghur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region.
Tohti, detained since January, denies the charges.
According to specialists, China is taking a tougher line against those it considers “separatists” in the context of growing violence linked to Xinjiang.
The life sentence came after a two-day trial, which ended last week.
The court is also likely to seize all of Tohti’s money and property.
His lawyer, Li Fangping, told BBC China that they will appeal the sentence.
Amnesty International called the verdict against Tohti “deplorable”.
The European Union, the US and the United Nations have called for his release.
In recent years, tensions have grown between the Xinjiang Uyghurs and the Han Chinese living in that region.
Observers believe that the verdict against Tohti may increase them.
