Beijing [China], September 1 (ANI): Chinese authorities have prolonged the imprisonment of well-known Tibetan community leader and environmental activist A-Nya Sengdra, who was scheduled to complete his seven-year sentence next month, Phayul reported.

According to Phayul, Sengdra, admired in his native Golok region of eastern Tibet for campaigning against corruption, illegal mining, and wildlife poaching, was expected to walk free in September. An additional charge was lodged against him while in detention, pushing his release date to February 2026.

A respected nomadic leader, Sengdra has spent most of his prison term in near-total isolation. In mid-August, his family managed to visit him for the first time this year. The meeting followed a rare encounter last year, the first in six years, lasting only a few minutes. Relatives said they were deeply worried about his worsening health, describing his weakened state during these brief visits.

His case has drawn long-standing international concern. In 2020, nine United Nations human rights experts urged Beijing to free him, warning that his incarceration amounted to the criminalisation of legitimate community leadership and human rights work. They also flagged serious concerns over his physical and psychological condition in poor detention circumstances, Phayul noted.

Sengdra was arrested in September 2018 by the Gade County Public Security Bureau in Qinghai province (Amdo) and accused of 'gathering people to disturb public order' and 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble.' Rights advocates insist that the allegations were manufactured to silence his grassroots activism. His lawyer argued that the case was part of a broader campaign branding Tibetan community leaders as 'underworld forces' to suppress dissent.

Despite three formal appeals seeking a retrial, the courts have repeatedly refused to re-examine the case. In November 2024, his lawyer Lin Qilei disclosed on social media that a judge dismissed his request outright and even advised him not to return to the court.

According to Phayul, rights groups believe the extension of Sengdra's sentence underscores China's continued crackdown on Tibetan voices who challenge official policies. (ANI)