Tibetans living under China’s rule are routinely denied the right to a fair trial, with judicial proceedings against them often held in secret and confessions obtained under torture used against them in court, a Tibetan rights group says in a new report. Especially in cases deemed politically sensitive, “Tibetans are rarely informed of their right to counsel,” the Dharamsala, India-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) says in its July 2020 report “Barriers to Exercising the Right to a Fair Trial in Tibet.”
“Very rarely are they able to retain a defence lawyer of their own choice. Many do not have legal representation at their trials,” TCHRD said, adding that in court proceedings involving “state security” or “state secrets” charges, “the cases against Tibetans are mostly completely closed to the public and the media.”
Family members are also often not told of their loved one’s detention or arrest, especially during periods of pre-trial detention when they are most likely to be severely tortured, TCHRD said.
