Tibetan Enviromentalist Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

A court in China’s Xinjiang region has sentenced Tibetan businessman and environmentalist, Karma Samdrup, to fifteen years in prison. They’ve charged him with robbing tombs and dealing in looted relics.

Samdrup made his fortune selling Tibetan antiques, and had funded conservation projects on the Tibetan plateau.

In 2006, China Central Television—China’s state-run TV network—had named him „philanthropist of the year.“

The London-based, Free Tibet Campaign says the charges against Samdrup are “trumped-up.” They say the real reason for his imprisonment is his public criticism of the arrest of his brothers.

Samdrup’s brothers spoke out against a local official who they claimed was poaching endangered wildlife. The brothers were arrested and charged with running an illegal environmental group and, quote, “harming national security.”

Since large-scale protests shook Tibet in 2008, the Chinese regime has been cracking down on public figures, such as singers and bloggers, who give any hint of dissent.

Samdrup’s lawyer says he plans to appeal the conviction.

Foto: NTDTV