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Take action on the Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche case

Tserang Dhondrup (also known as Jortse or Jotse), the elderly Tibetan village leader sentenced to five years in prison was released on Friday 11 July in poor health after serving a year of his sentence according to Human Rights Watch. It was suspected that he had been imprisoned for his support of imprisoned respected religious leader, Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche who is currently under sentence of death. Many thanks to all those who responded to urgent campaigns on Tserang's behalf, the most recent of which called on the authorities to release him given his poor health.

Human Rights Watch quoted local reports ofTserang Dhondrup's release which indicated that he could not see or walk and that"his hands were not working". He was reportedly tried in secret and no official mention of his arrest was ever made in the Chinese media. Tserang Dhondrup was one of the main organisers of the local petition drive in 2000 to defend Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche from a previous arrest attempt which generated over 20,000 signatures. He was at the time the village head in Ortok. Reportedly, he was accused at his trial of "cheating the people" and "misguiding them" into supporting the Rinpoche.

Free Tibet Campaign believes that at least 17 Tibetans have been detained in connection with this case. To date, Lobsang Dhondup was executed on 26 January 2003. and Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche remains under a two year suspended death sentence at a secret location after being accused of taking part in a series of bomb explosions. There are also fears for the health and safety of Tashi Phuntsok who is serving seven years. He had been arrested when he was in hospital being treated for tubercolosis. Tabo (also known as Taipei or Tapo), a businessman suspected of passing on information to foreign journalists on the case, remains detained without charge. The whereabouts and health of Pasang and Choetsom, two young monks who disappeared following their interrogation by Chinese authorities in April 2002 is unknown. In addition, another two men fled after they heard that security officials were searching for them (they have requested anonymity). It has been reliably reported that all those detained have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment.

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