Tibetan buddhist monk released in secret after completing prison term

Tibetan monk and political prisoner Rinchen Tsultrim was secretly released last week after spending four and a half years in prison

Rinchen Tsultrim

A source confirmed Tibet Watch that Rinchen Tsultrim, who had been sentenced to prison on accusations of “inciting secession”, was released secretly on 1 February upon completing his prison term of four years and six months. 

The police prohibited the townspeople from celebrating his release with a public welcome and from taking any photos and videos of his return home. Tsultrim is required to report his daily activities, including places he visited and people met, to the county police station.

Rinchen Tsultrim’s condition, whereabouts, and the circumstances of his trial were largely unknown until August 2021, when a response from China to a letter from four United Nations human rights experts was made public.

Son of Tashi Dhondup and Tsomo, Rinchen hails from a humble farming family, with five siblings in Kashul village, Ngaba County, Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. He enrolled at the Nangshe (or Nangshik) Monastery of Bon religion at the age of six. He is well-known for his commitment to preserving the Tibetan language and his WeChat account had been frequently suspended in the past.