Lobsang Sherap was one of ten monks from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County who were arrested on 23 May 1998, together with an elderly layman, Dakpa Kalko (born 1938), for pasting posters expressing support for Tibetan independence.

During the subsequent trial, Dakpa Kalko accepted full responsibility for the action in an effort to protect the monks. Despite this, the court sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment, reportedly labeling him a “thief” in order to justify the harsh sentence.

Of the ten monks arrested, Lobsang Sherap remains the only individual still in detention. He is currently serving a three-year prison sentence at the Barkham County Detention Centre. The remaining nine monks have since been released after completing their respective terms of imprisonment.

The continued detention of Lobsang Sherap raises serious concerns regarding the criminalization of peaceful political expression and the disproportionate use of punishment against Tibetan monks and civilians.