Nyima Drakpa

Nyima Drakpa, a twenty-nine-year-old Tibetan monk, died on 1 October 2003. PEN believes that his death was caused by beatings he received at the Tawu County Public Security Detention Centre, in the Kardze region of Tibet. Following his arrest in May 2000, authorities severely beat Nyima Drakpa in order to extract a confession for his alleged crimes. The head of the police team that recorded the confession was reportedly rewarded with a car for his ‘exemplary deed’. Nyima Drakpa was later sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment in a closed trial: his crimes were listed as ‘endangering state security’ and ‘incitement against the masses’.