Lobsang Tenzin, born in 1970 in Thangkya District near Lhasa, was arrested at the age of twenty on 14 September 1990 for participating in a peaceful pro-independence demonstration in Lhasa. Following his arrest, he was held incommunicado and subjected to severe physical and psychological torture. His treatment reportedly included electric shocks, repeated beatings, and forced undressing during prolonged interrogation sessions.

Lobsang Tenzin was subsequently charged with “committing a crime against the Motherland,” a vague and politically motivated accusation frequently employed by Chinese authorities to criminalize Tibetan dissent and political activism. He was never clearly informed of the specific nature of the charges against him, nor was he afforded a fair or transparent judicial process. Despite this, he was sentenced to two years of “re-education through labour,” which he served in Gutsa Prison.