Sonam Wangdu
POLITICAL PRISONER- Does it have an image?
- No
- Gender
- Male
- Age at Detention
- 36
- Occupation at Detention
- Trade
- Date of arrest
- April, 1988
- Detention Centre/Prison
- Drapchi Prison
- Description of event
Sonam Wangdu, also known as Shungden, was a 36-year-old trader arrested in April 1988 for the alleged killing of a Chinese policeman during a Tibetan protest. Despite the absence of credible evidence, he was subjected to nearly a year of severe torture at Gutsa Prison, which left him critically injured, and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment.
- Violations Faced in Detention
- No Fair Trial: No family meet ups
- No Fair Trial: No legal representation
- Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment: Use of Tiger Chairs
- Details of Violations Faced in Detention
He was denied a fair trial and, together with four others, pleaded not guilty, stating that their confessions had been extracted under torture. After court hearings, they were beaten and transferred to Drapchi Prison, where they were held separately from ordinary criminal prisoners.
- 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
- Length of Sentence
- Life imprisonment.
- Prison Location
- Consequences of Detention After Release
As a result of prolonged abuse, Sonam Wangdu’s health deteriorated drastically. He suffered paralysis, severe internal organ damage, impaired speech and hearing, and required medical assistance to urinate. By the early 1990s, he was emaciated and confined to a wheelchair, described by observers as “a lost person,” bearing the lasting physical and psychological consequences of torture in detention.
- Type of Sources
- Primary: TCHRD field sources
- Torture
- Torture
- Published
- Published