Gyaltsen Dolkar

POLITICAL PRISONER
Does it have an image?
No
Gender
Female
Age at Detention
23
Origin County Level
Origin Province
  • Tibet Autonomous Region
Origin Prefecture
  • Lhasa
Occupation at Detention
Religious
Vulnerable Group at Detention
  • Religious
Grounds for Detention
  • Counter revolutionary
Date of arrest
21/08/1990
Detention Centre/Prison
Drapchi Prison
Description of event

Gyaltsen Dolkar, born in 1971 and also known by her lay name Dawa, is a Tibetan nun from Meldro Rutho in Meldrogungkar County, Lhasa. She joined Garu Nunnery and became actively involved in the Tibetan pro-independence movement.

On 21 August 1990, during the Shoton (Yogurt) Festival in Lhasa, she joined a group of 16 demonstrators, including seven nuns, in a peaceful protest calling for Tibetan independence and expressing support for the Dalai Lama. The group was immediately arrested.

Gyaltsen Dolkar was charged with “counter-revolutionary activities” and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, along with one year of deprivation of political rights. While in prison, she continued to express political dissent by recording messages, which led to an additional eight years being added to her sentence.

Violations Faced in Detention
  • Sexual assault
  • Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment: Use of Tiger Chairs
Details of Violations Faced in Detention

During her detention, she was subjected to severe torture and brutal interrogation, including sexualized violence and electric shocks, leaving her physically and psychologically traumatized.

Types of Human Rights Violations
  • Legal and Procedural Rights Violations: Right to Fair Trial
  • Civil and Political Rights Violations: Right to Freedom of Expression and Opinion
  • Civil and Political Rights Violations: Right to Liberty and security of person
  • Civil and Political Rights Violations: Right to privacy
  • Right to privacy
Length of Sentence
12 years
Prison Location
Type of Sources
  • Primary: TCHRD field sources
Torture
Torture
Published
Published