Fear for the safety of Tibetan singer Lo Lo whose whereabouts and fate are unclear since his arrest

Whereabouts unknown/ Fearfor safety

The International Secretariat of the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT)requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in the People’s Republic of China.

Brief description of the situation

TheInternationalSecretariat of OMCT has been informed by The Tibetan Centre for Human Rightsand Democracy (TCHRD), a member of OMCT SOS-Torture Network, about the arrestof Lo Lo, a well-known Tibetansinger, on 19 April 2012. His whereabouts and fate since then are unclear.OMCT is gravely concerned for his safety.

According to the information received, on 19 April2012, Lo Lo, 29 years old, was arrested and taken to an unknown location bylocal police officers of Dhomda village, in Trindu (Chinese: Chengdu) County,Jyekundo (Chinese: Yushu) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province.

According to the same information received, Lo Loreleased a few months earlier an album titled “Raise the Tibetan Flag, Childrenof the Snow land”. The album reportedly contains 14 songs with lyrics callingfor Tibet’s independence, unity of the Tibetan people and thereturn of his Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet. It is believed that Lo Lo was arrestedsolely on the basis of his political songs.

The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravelyconcerned about the safety of Lo Lo, ashis whereabouts and fate remain unknown. OMCT urges the competent authorities to guarantee his physicaland psychological integrity at all times, in accordance with internationalhuman rights law, in particular the Convention against Tortureand Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and to immediately locate anddisclose his whereabouts.

OMCT further calls on the competent authorities to order his immediaterelease in the absence of valid legal charges that are consistent with international law andstandards, or, if such charges exist, bring him promptly before an impartial,independent and competent tribunal and guarantee his procedural rights at alltimes, including immediate and unconditional access to a lawyer of his choice.

ActionsRequested

Please write to theauthorities in the People’s Republic of China urging them to:

i. Immediatelylocate and disclose the whereabouts of Lo Lo;

ii. Guarantee,in all circumstances, his physical and psychological integrity;

iii. Grant himimmediate and full access to a lawyer of his choice and his families, as wellas guarantee that he is examined by independent doctors and receives adequatemedical care if necessary, in accordance, interalia, with the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners;

iv. Order his immediate release in the absence of validlegal charges that areconsistent with international law and standards, or, if such charges exist,bring him before an impartial, independent and competent tribunal and guaranteehis procedural rights at all times;

v. Guaranteetherespect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country inaccordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

Addresses

• Mr. Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister of thePeople’s Republic of China, Guojia Zongli, The State Council GeneralOffice, 2 Fuyoujie, Xichengqu, Beijingshi 100017, People’s Republic ofChina, Fax: +86 10 65961109 (c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Ms. WuAiying, Minister of Justice of the People’s Republic of China, BuzhangSifabu, 10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyangqu, Beijingshi 100020, People’sRepublic of China, Fax: +86 10 6529 2345, minister@legalinfo.gov.cn / pfmaster@legalinfo.gov.cn
• Mr. DaiBingguo,Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, BuzhangWaijiaobu, 2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Beijingshi 100701, People’s Republic ofChina, Fax: +86 10 6588 2594, Email: ipc@fmprc.gov.cn;
• Mr. MengJianzhu, Minister of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China,Buzhang, Gong’anbu, 14 Dongchang’anjie, Dongchengqu, Beijingshi 100741,People’s Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 63099216
• AmbassadorHe Yafei, Permanent Mission of the People’sRepublic of China, Chemin de Surville 11, P.O. Box 85, 1213 Petit-Lancy 2,Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 7937014, E-mail: mission.china@ties.itu.int;

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Please also write to the embassies of the People’s Republic of China in your respective country.

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Geneva, 27 April 2012

Kindly inform us of anyaction undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.