The 38-year-old Uighar man had been warned previously a number of times before he attended court in the city of Kashgar, the state-owned newspaper China Youth Daily reported.

His wife was also reportedly handed a two-year sentence for wearing a veil that covered her face. 

In January 2015 legislators in Xinjiang approved a ban on women wearing a veil in public, a move which Xinjuang experts warned would further alienate the Uighur population.

China has blamed rising violence in the far western province of Xinjiang on fanatics, and recently introduced an initiative known as "Project Beauty" which encourages women to leave their heads and faces uncovered.