9 December 2009

Alert

Two Tibetans sentenced to three years in jail for posting Dalai Lama photographs online


Incident details

Sentencing

Gyaltsen, Web dissident
Nyima Wangdu, Web dissident

This is available in:

English Français
(RSF/IFEX) - Two young Tibetans, identified as Gyaltsen and Nyima Wangdu, have just been given three-year jail sentences for posting photos of the Dalai Lama online. The exact date of their conviction is not known but it is believed to have been in early December 2009. They were convicted on charges of "communicating information to contacts outside China."

They have been detained in Lhasa since 1 October. Their families, who have not been allowed to visit them in prison or obtain any information about them, are concerned for their health.

Three other Internet users, identified as Yeshi Namkha, Anne (a pseudonym) and Thupten, were arrested for similar reasons on 1 December but have not yet been tried. It is not known where they are being held.

"All these young Tibetan Internet users did was exchange photos of Tibet's spiritual leader," Reporters Without Borders said. "We call for their immediate release and the withdrawal of all the charges. These convictions are absurd. These young people should not be made to pay for the tension between the Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama."

Source:

Reporters Without Borders
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
 

Stay on top of free expression news.

Sign up to receive the weekly IFEX Communiqué.


Updates to this story

Netizen given 10-year sentence for sending photos of March 2008 uprising 23 March 2010

More on this case

More Tibetans arrested in connection with Internet activities 22 October 2009

Tibet (China)

PEN American Center concerned over "virtual lockdown" on freedom of expression 9 February 2012 Authorities urged to refrain from using excessive force against protesters 27 January 2012 Heavy-handed security exacerbates grievances, desperation in Tibetan monasteries 13 October 2011 Tibetan magazine editor given four-year jail term 7 July 2011 Authorities censor Tibetan websites 25 March 2011 See all alerts: Tibet (China)


 
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) is a global network of 95 organisations working to defend and promote the right to free expression.
Permission is granted for material on this website to be reproduced or republished in whole or in part provided the source member and/or IFEX is cited with a link to the original item.