Director Chen Zhilin

Sichuan Province Prison Administration Bureau

No. 1, Binjiangzhong Lu, Chengdu

610020 Sichuan Province

People’s Republic of ChinaDear

Director Chen:

We , the undersigned are writing to express our concern about Rinchen Tsultrim (仁青持真), a Tibetan Monk who was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment in March 2020 without any known trial.

It is distressing to learn that Rinchen Tsultrim’s family members only learned about his sentence when the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture Public Security Bureau informed them in March 2021 that he was in a prison in Chengdu. In March 2020 his family received official information that he was suspected of “inciting separatism”. However, no other official information about his condition or even the charges he was convicted of have been shared with his family to date.

Rinchen Tsultrim’s family believe that his imprisonment is related to his expression of his political views on his WeChat account and personal website. According to international human rights law and standards, no one should be imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression.

We are alarmed to learn that Rinchen Tsultrim appears to have been held incommunicado since 1 August 2019. Without regular access to family and legal representation, I am gravely concerned about his condition and wellbeing.

We therefore call on you to:

 Release Rinchen Tsultrim unless there is sufficient, credible and admissible evidence that he committed an internationally recognized offence and is granted a fair trial in line with international standards;

 Pending his release, disclose Rinchen Tsultrim’s whereabouts and ensure that he has regular, unrestricted access to his family and lawyers of his choice and is not subjected further to torture or other ill-treatment.

Sincerely