Chinese police have taken into custody Gonpo Kyi and her husband, Choekyong, after they staged a protest for justice in front of the Tibet Autonomous Region Higher People’s Court on 13 December, according to credible sources. Gonpo Kyi, also known as Gontey, had already staged multiple sit-ins in front of the court against the unjust sentencing of her brother, Dorjee Tashi, to life imprisonment in 2010, according to credible sources.
Formerly a successful businessman, Dorjee Tashi was arrested in July 2008, shortly after the spring 2008 pan-Tibet protests against Chinese rule. He was initially accused of supporting the Tibetan protesters but was later sentenced to life imprisonment on trumped-up charges of financial fraud, which were refuted by his family members.
During Gonpo Kyi’s past protests, she has been manhandled by police, beaten, forcibly removed, visually blocked by a banner wall, held in overnight detention and threatened with imprisonment for continuing her protests.
Despite the threats and violations of her right to express her opinions and thoughts, Gonpo Kyi remains steadfast in her demand for the release of her brother.
Dorjee Tashi is known to have been subjected to torture during pretrial detention in 2008 and is currently in poor health within the Tibet Autonomous Region Prison No. 1, also known as Drapchi Prison.
Dorjee Tashi
The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) has previously documented the torture of the renowned Tibetan businessman and philanthropist Dorjee Tashi during his pre-trial detention, as well as his family’s tireless advocacy for justice.
Both the United States and the European Union have raised concerns about the arbitrary detention of Dorjee Tashi. Notably, the European Union called for his immediate and unconditional release, along with the release of others, during its statement on the occasion of International Human Rights Day on 10 December.
The United States also acknowledged the detention of Dorjee Tashi in its 2022 and 2021 State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
Gonpo Kyi holding a sign saying “Tibet’s higher people’s court perverts the law” in front of the Tibet Autonomous Region Higher People’s Court in Lhasa on 31 January 2023.
Gonpo Kyi and her husband, Choekyong, holding a sign that reads ‘Dorjee Tashi is not guilty’ in front of Dorjee Tashi’s Yak Hotel in Lhasa earlier this year.