Zhang Yi case was referred to the Lhasa Public Prosecutor ' s Office: a case of torture caused by a photograph of the Dalai Lama, where the family disclosed that the prison was in a state of fainting with a lack of medication

A photo of the Dalai Lama on a mobile phone turned Wuhan Democrat Zhang Yi from a Tibetan tourist to a detainee accused of “incitement to secession”. October 12th, a" <Li Radio Free Asia, and Zhang Yi's case was referred by the Lhasa Public Security Office to the Public Prosecutor's Office on October 8th to examine and prosecute. His son Zhang Hiro disclosed that his father had fainted at the initial stages of the detention centre due to the response of the highlands, high blood pressure and lack of medication. Today, the family is most concerned about the sustainability of Zhang ' s physical presence, in addition to the criminal proceedings that are about to be initiated.

What happened in the sala temple

On 1 July, Zhang Yi and his brother Zhang Hyun visited the La Sassala Temple. Two people who wanted to borrow a pilgrimage mat from a Tibetan woman had difficulty communicating because of their lack of linguistic communication. Zhang Yi then showed each other pictures of the Dalai Lama on his cell phone. According to the family, two plainclothes personnel took note of the move and the brothers were taken away by the police before leaving the monastery. The brother was later released and Zhang Yi remained in local custody.

The initial information received by the family was that the detention could last for 15 days. On 18 July, the Lhasa City Public Security Bureau converted Zhang Yi into criminal detention on suspicion of “incitement to secession”; On 28 July, Zhang Yi was officially authorized to arrest him. Amnesty International has consulted the arrest notices received by families at and considers that the detention of peace speakers for the sole purpose of showing photographs of religious leaders reflects the authorities' pressure on freedom of religion and expression.

One of the six and four participants lost his freedom again

<a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/1403/2026/en/Zhang Yi-Iu, released by Amnesty International on 6 October, requested the Chinese authorities to release Zhang Yi immediately and to pay particular attention to his disability and physical condition, which requires protection. The information published by the organization, which links the legal proceedings of 1 July, 18 July in criminal detention and 28 July in official arrests, shows that this is not a simple security audit, but rather a criminal case of national security that has been going on for months.

Zhang Yi was not the first to be subjected to political prosecution. He was a member of the 1989 Wuhan Democratic Movement and was sentenced to two years ' imprisonment after the events. Since then, they have been involved in civil rights advocacy, commemorations and support for those who have been convicted of crimes. The injury during the early years of his sentence resulted in a permanent loss of hearing on his side. Today, the injured defender is being held in the Lhasa prison far from his family.

Zhang Hong, in an interview with Radio Free Asia on 11 October, stated that his father had told his lawyer on 11 September that he had fainted at high blood pressure in the early stages of the entrance due to insufficient response and depressurized medication. The availability of drugs has since improved and the health situation has stabilized. On 8 October, when counsel met again, Zhang Yi was in good spirits, but still had a backache. >, an interview with Radio Free Asia earlier on 10 August, also documented a detailed account of Zhang Hong-hai's son's plainclothes man, brother taken away from the scene and his family was notified of his detention. Two interviews provided different information on the circumstances of the incident and the medical conditions in custody. The family had transferred his living expenses and had been concerned about the daily diet and medical care in the detention centre.

From the PSA investigation to the Public Prosecution Service

The referral of the case to the Public Prosecutor ' s Office means that the public security investigation phase is over and the Public Prosecution Service will decide to follow up on the prosecution. When the family was informed of this progress, counsel had not completed the examination of the file. There is a marked contrast between Zhang Yi ' s charge of endangering national unity, which is based on a photograph, and the actual act that was first committed in the monastery: he neither organizes political activities nor publicly calls for division, and the family describes a daily exchange between languages.

The political significance of the case is reflected in how the concept of national security enters the most common religious space. For a tourist, the presentation of photographs is a means of communication; For the police officers on the ground, it was an opportunity to initiate detention, investigation and criminal prosecution. The Tibetan governance of Xi Jinping has been strengthening political loyalty and ideological boundaries, and the Zhang Il-Pil case shows that the people affected are not only Tibetans but also Han citizens who express religious respect.

Zhang Yi ' s son was travelling abroad and his father was still in Lhasa. What a family is waiting for is not just a document from the Public Prosecutor ' s Office, but also what makes a picture a criminal threat in the country.