Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 10: A Chinese court has ruled in favour of the Lhasa Public Security Bureau (PSB), dismissing a lawsuit filed by Gonpo Kyi, the sister of imprisoned Tibetan businessman Dorjee Tashi, further diminishing the chances of justice for her brother.
According to a report by the Washington-based rights group, International Campaign for Tibet, on September 24, the Chengguan District Court in Lhasa rejected all five claims in Gonpo Kyi’s lawsuit against the district’s public security bureau. The lawsuit, filed in March 2024, claimed that her ten-day detention for peacefully advocating for her brother’s release violated her rights, making justice for Dorjee Tashi seem even more elusive.
On March 25, 2024, a case was filed after Gonpo submitted a complaint accusing the Chengguan District Public Security Bureau (PSB) of unlawfully detaining her and violating her right to free expression, according to the rights group. A public hearing was subsequently held on June 27, 2024. In her complaint, Gonpo argued that her detention was illegal and called for the withdrawal of the imposed fine. She also sought compensation of 4,368 Yuan (calculated at 436.80 Yuan per day for ten days of detention). Additionally, Gonpo requested the return of her advocacy materials, including an A4 sign and a white cloth banner, and demanded that the district PSB cover her court expenses.
In its 16-page verdict, the court ruled that the Chengguan District PSB’s detention of Gonpo Kyi was lawful under Chinese law. The court upheld the PSB’s defence, stating that Gonpo’s activism—through actions such as prostration, meditation, distributing flyers, and lying on the street—disrupted the operations of the Tibet Autonomous Region Higher People’s Court. It affirmed the legality of her ten-day detention and rejected the request to return her confiscated advocacy materials, including an A4 sign and a white cloth banner. Gonpo’s claim for financial compensation was also dismissed. Ultimately, the Chengguan District Court rejected all of Gonpo’s allegations and sided with the PSB’s defenses.
Gonpo Kyi and her family members have relentlessly sought justice for her younger brother, Dorjee Tashi, a prominent Tibetan entrepreneur arrested by Chinese authorities following the 2008 Pan-Tibetan uprising in Lhasa. He was accused of making suspicious donations to the exiled Tibetan community and branded a “secessionist” by the Chinese government. Although initially charged with supporting the Tibetan independence movement, he was later convicted of “loan fraud” in a secretive trial in 2010 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Since his sentencing, Kyi has consistently campaigned for her brother’s release, staging protests outside the Lhasa People’s Court. However, her activism resulted in grave consequences as she faced physical assaults, including beatings, and intensive interrogation during her detention in a Chinese prison. Furthermore, she has allegedly been denied access to essential medical treatment despite experiencing health issues arising from the mistreatment that she endured.
Advocacy groups like the International Campaign for Tibet has previously documented instances of torture inflicted upon Dorjee Tashi, during his pre-trial detention. Both the United States and the European Union have expressed serious concerns regarding the arbitrary detention of Dorjee Tashi. The European Union specifically urged for his immediate and unconditional release, emphasising this demand in conjunction with other similar cases, during their statement, marking International Human Rights Day on December 10.
