Help free Dhondup Wangchen

Dhondup Wangchen is a Tibetan film-maker who was arrested in March 2008. He had just completed filming an extensive series of interviews with ordinary Tibetans, giving a voice to Tibetans under China’s rule. The interviews were smuggled out of Tibet at great risk and have been made into a remarkable 25-minute documentary, Leaving Fear Behind, which was secretly shown to a small group of foreign reporters on the eve of the Beijing Olympics last year, and eventually was seen screened in more than 30 countries.

As a prisoner of the Chinese government, Wangchen endured torture to extract a confession, contracted hepatitis B (being denied adequate treatment), and had the lawyer he chose replaced with a government-appointed one—violating his right to choose his own counsel and denying him access to independent legal assistance.

His arrest and sentence of 6 years prove that the Chinese government will not allow Tibetans any expression that opposes Chinese rule.

Please, tell the Chinese government to free Dhondup Wangchen and to uphold the right to freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial in future cases: Sign Petition & spread the word!