Human Rights Watch Raises Alarm Over Death of Sha Bahadur Gurung, Bhutan’s Longest-Serving Political Prisoner, and the Plight of Others

By Tula Dhakal

Human Rights Watch, HRW has raised urgent concerns over Bhutan’s treatment of political prisoners after the death of Sha Bahadur Gurung, one of the country’s longest-held detainees, calling it “a tragic reminder of the injustice and needless suffering forced upon alleged critics in Bhutan’s grim prisons.”.

Gurung, 65, died under unclear circumstances at Chamgang Prison in December while seeking treatment for an eye condition. He had been imprisoned for 35 years after protesting for Bhutan’s marginalized Nepali-speaking community in 1990.

Human Rights Watch called his death “a tragic reminder of the injustice and needless suffering forced upon alleged critics in Bhutan’s grim prisons.”

Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW’s Asia Deputy Director, stated in a press release that Bhutan holds about 30 political prisoners, many serving life sentences. Prison authorities reportedly deprive prisoners of food, clothing, proper bedding, and medicine, sometimes giving medicine only to those who pay.

The Global Campaign for the Release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB) welcomed Human Rights Watch’s action, noting it had previously demanded accountability for Sha Bahadur Gurung’s prison death and consistently highlighted the dire conditions facing Bhutan’s political prisoners.

The group urged Amnesty International, other international human rights organisations, and the global community to publicly demand the immediate release of these detainees and press Bhutan to commission an independent investigation into Gurung’s death, ensuring accountability.

Under Bhutanese law, only the king can commute life sentences. Human Rights Watch has called on the government to explain how it treated Gurung and to address the broader conditions political prisoners face, highlighting the stark contrast between Bhutan’s international reputation and its prison reality.

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