Yangchen Tso, Editor
Translated by TenGyal
The Chinese authorities have released Karma Samdub, a Tibetan environmentalist and collector of antique artifacts who was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment.
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According to a reliable dispatch from a Tibet Times source, the Chinese authorities have released Karma Samdub on November 18 2024., who was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment. Karma is a Tibetan environmental activist and collector of antique artefacts.
On June 24th, 2010, the Yanqi County Court in Xinjiang prosecuted and sentenced the Tibetan environmentalist Karma Samdub to fifteen years’ imprisonment, revoked his political rights for five years, and fined him 10,000 Yuan. At that time, Karma’s lawyer, Pu Zhiqiang, had described:“ We did not have enough time to search through the court documents and find evidence to prove his innocence to secure his release. More importantly, we were subjected to much harassment in our meetings with Karma.” He had also remarked on the severity of the sentence handed out to Karma.
Karma Samdub was arrested on January 1st, 2010, and detained for several months in Pa Trik, Xinjiang. While in detention, he was subjected to unimaginable torture, abuse, and coercive interrogations. On June 24th, 2010, the Yianqi County Court in Xinjiang prosecuted and sentenced him on the false allegations of digging up graveyards and stealing cultural artifacts. Although Karma had been previously accused of the same alleged crimes in Xinjiang around 1998, he was proven to be innocent and was cleared of all charges then.
Karma’s brother Rinchen Samdub and Chemi Namgyal, were also arrested by the Chinese authorities in August 2009. Rinchen Samdub was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the allegations of endangering national security and was later released from prison in Lhasa on August 8th, 2014. Chemi Namgyal was held in a labor camp for a year and a half.
Karma Samdub, 56, is from Dhompa Village, Samphel Town, Gonjo County. They had founded the Achung Senge Namzong Volunteers’ Environmental Protection Association. The Chinese authorities had falsely accused Rinchen Samdub and Chemi Namgyal of unlawfully collecting environmental information and endangering national security. Before these allegations, the two had appealed to the authorities about the governmental officials being involved in activities that harm the local wildlife in the mountains.
