Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Sept. 1: Gonpo Kyi, a Tibetan woman petitioning for the release of her imprisoned brother, has been hospitalized with spinal and knee injuries after jumping from the second floor of her family’s hotel in Lhasa while under police detention on August 20, Voice of Tibet (VoT) reported. Medical records confirm she sustained spinal damage and is currently undergoing treatment.
A Tibetan netizen, Sakar Tashi, wrote on social media that Chinese authorities immediately sealed off the guesthouse and imposed strict restrictions following the incident. Reports further allege that she was denied prompt medical attention due to President Xi Jinping’s concurrent visit to Lhasa for the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).
Sources say Kyi was under immense pressure to secure legal proceedings and family visits for her younger brother, Dorje Tashi. Once a successful businessman and philanthropist, Tashi was arrested after the 2008 Tibetan uprising, tortured in detention, and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 on charges of “illegal business operations” after a closed-door trial widely seen as politically motivated. His elder brother, Dorjee Tsetan, also served a six-year prison term.
Over the years, Gonpo Kyi has led repeated hunger strikes and peaceful protests in Lhasa to demand justice for her brother, often facing detention, beatings, and intimidation. Despite persistent appeals by family members and lawyers, Chinese authorities have refused to review the case or allow prison visits.
Rights groups have condemned serious flaws in Tashi’s trial, citing torture, political interference, witness tampering, and a conviction for loan fraud despite the loan being repaid in full, no complaint from the bank, and evidence of legal ownership of collateral. His life sentence has been criticized as disproportionately harsh, while his family’s denial of visitation has drawn international concern.
Tibet Watch, which has monitored the case extensively, said Tashi’s imprisonment exemplifies the lack of legal protections in Tibet and urged the international community to press China for accountability.
