Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India] October 30 : Tibetan woman Gonpo Kyi staged another peaceful protest outside the High People’s Court of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in Lhasa on October 26, demanding justice for her imprisoned brother, Dorje Tashi, according to a report by Phayul.
A newly surfaced video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) reportedly shows Gonpo Kyi protesting outside the court, seeking a review of her brother’s life sentence, a retrial and permission to visit him in prison.
According to Phayul, Gonpo Kyi has been leading a sustained campaign for her brother’s release and judicial review for several years. Her efforts have included solo demonstrations, sit-ins, prayer vigils and hunger strikes outside government offices, police stations and courts in Lhasa.
Dorje Tashi, once a prominent Tibetan businessman, was arrested in the aftermath of the 2008 protests in occupied Tibet. He was reportedly subjected to months of torture while in detention. In 2010, following a closed-door trial at the Lhasa Intermediate People’s Court, he was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of loan fraud. However, his supporters have maintained that the charges were politically motivated.
His brother, Dorje Tseten, was sentenced to six years in prison in the same case and was subsequently released.
Phayul reported that Dorje Tashi’s family has repeatedly pursued judicial review through various legal channels since his imprisonment. In 2020, Chinese authorities rejected appeals filed by his lawyer and relatives seeking reconsideration of his conviction.
Between 2023 and 2024, Gonpo Kyi, her husband Choekyong and her brother Dorje Tseten reportedly staged more than seven hunger strikes and prayer protests outside government offices and courts in Lhasa, demanding a review of the life sentence and permission for family visits.
The report also highlighted alleged repeated physical assaults, police beatings, interrogations and both short- and long-term detentions faced by Gonpo Kyi and her family in connection with their campaign.
On August 20, 2025, Gonpo Kyi reportedly jumped from the second floor of the Yak Hotel in Lhasa in an apparent suicide attempt after being denied permission to visit her brother and allegedly placed under hotel arrest. She sustained serious injuries and was left in critical condition.
The case has also attracted international attention, with both the United States and the European Union raising concerns over Dorje Tashi’s imprisonment.
According to Phayul, during the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, held from September 12 to October 7, 2022, the European Union called for the immediate and unconditional release of several individuals, including Dorje Tashi.
The US Department of State also documented Dorje Tashi’s detention in its 2021 and 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on China, highlighting his case in its assessment of human rights conditions in the country.