The wife of a Canadian human rights activist says Ottawa should expel the Chinese ambassador in reaction to China's sentence of her husband to life in prison.

Kamila Telendibaeva said she was sad, disappointed and angry after learning her husband, Huseyin Celil, was found guilty of taking part in terrorist activities. She said Ottawa should take action against the Chinese government.

"You know first of all kick them out, kick them out — Chinese ambassador — and if they don't recognize again his citizenship, if they don't listen to Canadian government, if they don't deal with the Canadian government in that case, close the door to China," she said.

Celil was sentenced for the two crimes of "separating China and … organizing, leading and participating in terrorist groups, organizations," the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced.

Members of his family are raising funds to hire their own lawyer in China. They  have 10 days to file an appeal of Celil's sentence.

In 1994, Celil was arrested for establishing a political party for the country's minority Muslim Uighurs. Chinese officials also alleged he helped assassinate a political leader in Kyrgyzstan. Celil's family and lawyer have denied that allegation.

He escaped prison and later applied for refugee status in 2001 in Turkey, eventually becoming a Canadian citizen and settling in Burlington, Ont.

Celil was arrested last year in Uzbekistan, and then extradited to China.

On Thursday, Telendibaeva received a call from Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, who urged her not to give up.

MacKay summoned the Chinese charge d'affaires to discuss the case.

"We believe that China has not lived up to the Canada-China Consular agreement.  I will be raising this issue next week in China," MacKay told the House of Commons. MacKay will be in China for three days.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said it considers Celil a citizen of its country and had denied him access to Canadian consular service.

The details of Celil's trial and sentence have been shrouded in secrecy, with reports he was tried in August. It was previously reported he had been given a 15-year sentence.

His family says he is being persecuted because he is a Muslim and a political dissident.

Chinese authorities have long maintained militants among the Uighurs — Turkic-speaking Muslims — are leading a violent Islamic separatist movement in the region and are seeking to set up an independent state of "East Turkistan."

The separatist movement gained momentum following the dissolution of the former Soviet Union and the establishment of several independent and largely Muslim countries in the neighbouring region.

Telendibaeva spoke with relatives who were at the courthouse to hear the verdict.

The mother of four children said they told her the entire process took about 15 minutes and that Celil appeared to be in good condition. Family members were not allowed to speak with him, she said.