DHARAMSHALA: A former Tibetan political prisoner named Yeshe Tenzin passed away on 7th September 2011 after a prolonged illness and injuries sustained as a result of severe beatings and torture inflicted on him by Chinese security forces, according to information received by the Central Tibetan Administration.
Gedun Yeshe Tenzin was arrested in the year 2000 along with Choeying Khedup, Ngawang Gyurmey, Tenzin Choewang, Mikya Tsering Lhagon and Taru Yeshe, for distributing pamphlets calling for Tibet’s independence and for possessing audio tapes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Sok Dzong in Nagchu, eastern Tibet’s Kham province.
They were later sentenced to varying prison terms by the Nagchu district court. Yeshe Tenzin was sentenced to10 years in prison while Choeying Khedup was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Tenzin Choewang, Ngawang Gyurmey, Tsering Lhagon and Taru Yeshe was sentenced to 3, 15, 15 and 5 years in prison respectively.
Gedun Yeshe Tenzin was released at the end of his prison term in December 2010 but his condition was reported to be critical at the time of his release.