30 April 2008
Lhasa sentences criticised
(Xinhua; HRW; Tibet.net; Reuters) Sentences imposed by a Lhasa court on Tibetans accused of participating in violent protests on 14 March have been widely criticised. Although Xinhua claimed it was an open and transparent trial, earlier proceedings, in which evidence from the prosecution was introduced, had been conducted covertly on undisclosed dates in April. Lawyers who had publicly offered to defend protesters were forced to withdraw their assistance after judicial authorities in Beijing threatened to discipline them and suspend their professional licenses. The authorities justified their actions by saying that the Tibetan protesters were "not ordinary cases, but sensitive cases". New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) cited flaws in the legal process including: failure to establish a distinction between peaceful and violent protesters; statements by the Procuratorate (the Public Prosecution) at the time of the suspected protesters' arrest that assumed their guilt rather than their innocence; and secret trial proceedings. The CTA in Dharamsala issued a statement saying the trial was "not fair and transparent". "We strongly condemn the arbitrary sentences imposed on the 30 Tibetans involved in the recent protests in Tibet", the statement said, adding: "These sentences are disproportionate to what the Chinese authorities say are the 'crimes' they committed". "These trials did not follow the due process of law and the accused were denied independent lawyers to defend their case", the statement said. The US government has also expressed concern. "We are concerned", White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters when asked about the sentences. "We don't think that anyone should break the law. But we also believe in freedom of expression and assembly".