Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India] February 14 (ANI) Tibetan environmental campaigner and anti-corruption whistle-blower A-Nya Sengdra has been released from a Sichuan prison in fragile health, but fresh reports indicate that Chinese authorities continue to keep him under tight surveillance and restrict his access to medical care. Sengdra returned to his home in Kyangche Township after completing his jail term earlier this month. However, his freedom is said to be heavily curtailed. He and his relatives have allegedly been warned not to discuss his imprisonment, grant interviews, or circulate photographs or videos online. Travel outside the area, even for urgent treatment, is also said to require permission, as reported by Phayul.
According to Phayul, a recently shared image shows the former community leader with a shaved head and visibly reduced weight. Supporters say the photograph underlines years of neglect behind bars and fuels concern that he may not be receiving the follow-up care he urgently needs. Sengdra’s seven-year sentence officially ended in early September 2025, yet he remained in custody for months beyond that date. Rights advocates stated that the extra detention appeared arbitrary, with no public court procedure or clear legal reasoning offered. Some sources suggested the move may have been linked to alleged prison infractions, but documentation has not been released.
Born into a nomadic family, Sengdra became known for organising grassroots efforts to defend grazing lands, challenge mining activity, and question how poverty-relief funds were handled. Through a volunteer association he helped create, he raised complaints about housing subsidies and demanded explanations for large sums locals believed never reached intended beneficiaries. Residents often credit that pressure with pushing officials to finally distribute certain payments, as cited by Phayul.
Earlier arrests preceded his long incarceration. After a previous term, he was detained again in 2018 on public-order charges that critics say are routinely used to mute dissent. During the first weeks of that detention, he was reportedly mistreated and denied legal access. Family members who briefly met him last year described worsening blood pressure and general weakness, adding that sustained medical attention remained a central worry, as reported by Phayul. (ANI)