(Please contact Free Tibet Campaign if acting after 15 January 2003)
Update to Urgent Campaign of 6 December 2002

On Friday 10 January it is expected that the appeals will be heard against the death sentences imposed on Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche (Chinese name: A'an Zhaxi) and Lobsang Dhondup (Chinese name: Luo Rang Deng Zhu). They were originally sentenced to death at their original trial on 2 December 2002. Rinpoche and Lobsang had been accused of being involved in a bomb blast incident on 3 April 2002 in Chengdu. They were charged with "illegal possession of arms" and "engaging in splittist activities". It is unlikely that the trial was carried out in accordance with international fair trial standards in addition to which the cases against the men are highly questionable. If the appeal fails, then Lobsang Dhondup faces being executed within a few days whilst Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche's original death sentence will remain suspended for two years. It is believed that Rinpoche is currently on hunger strike in protest at the lack of justice in the proceedings.

The men launched their appeal against the death sentence by the deadline of December 12. However, Free Tibet Campaign is extremely worried about the lack of fairness in the appeals process after the judge presiding over the appeal informed two prominent Beijing lawyers (hired by Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche's brother) that their services were not required as local lawyers were acting on their behalf. This came only two days after one of the lawyers had had initial logistics discussions with the judge. One prominent Chinese dissident, Wang Lixiong who signed a petition along with 24 other Chinese intellectuals calling on the National People's Congress, the Chinese Supreme People's Court, and the Sichuan Province Supreme People's Court to ensure a fair retrial for the two men, believed that the Sichuan authorities may be pressurising the appeal trial judge to prevent the Beijing lawyers acting on the Rinpoche's behalf. He also believed that local defence lawyers will be unable to mount as vigorous a defence as they are dependent on the Sichuan authorities. The Beijing lawyers and Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche's brother have subsequently petitioned the Sichuan Provincial High Court on their right to act as the defence lawyers for the Rinpoche and were awaiting a verdict. Other concerns include the fear that the men may have been severely ill-treated or possibly tortured and the manner in which Lobsang's original confession was extracted and then later retracted.

PLEASE ACT NOW. If you have access to emails, please send them now (China is 8 hours ahead of the UK).