Responding to the arrest of a Han Chinese man in Lhasa, Tibet – the human rights activist Zhang Yi – Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks said:
“The arrest of Zhang Yi after he showed a photograph of the Dalai Lama while visiting a monastery is a chilling reminder of how far the Chinese authorities will go to police the peaceful exercise of human rights.
“This case bears all the hallmarks of the Chinese authorities’ long-standing misuse of the offence of ‘inciting separatism’ to criminalize peaceful expression in Tibetan areas and in relation to Tibetan history, culture and religious belief.
“Displaying a photograph of a religious leader should never be treated as a threat to national security. The Chinese authorities must immediately release Zhang Yi as he has been detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights.
“Pending his release, they must ensure that he has prompt access to his family and a lawyer of his own choosing. Authorities must protect him from torture and other ill-treatment while in detention.”
