Tibet Watch has learned that Gonmo Kyi, sister of Tibetan political prisoner Dorjee Tashi, was detained this morning, Wednesday 13 December, in Lhasa. Her husband Choekyong is also being held.

According to a source who spoke to Tibet Watch, Gonmo Kyi and Choekyong went to Lhasa People’s Court with a letter, urging officials to retry Dorjee Tashi, who has been in prison since 2008. They also requested that they be allowed to meet Dorjee Tashi in prison, something authorities had previously promised.

Instead, the pair were arrested by security personnel and taken to a police station in Lhasa. The source stated that it is difficult to know the couple’s current situation and in which police station they are detained.

Dorjee Tashi, a hotel owner, has been in prison since his arrest in July 2008. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for “loan fraud”, a charge he and his family contest, and has been subjected to torture while in prison.

In response, Gonmo Kyi, has held a series of protests targeted at officials in Lhasa, urging them to let her see her brother and for his case to be retried.

Police have attempted to block her protests from public view. According to Tibet Watch’s source, all photos, videos or information of Gonmo Kyi’s protests have been censored since August 2023, the last time that Tibet Watch received any information about her.

Police have also treated her violently, assaulting Gonmo Kyi in August and leaving her in need of hospital treatment, which was denied to her. In March this year, Gonmo Kyi was detained and beaten.