Rights activists in Nepal have expressed serious concern over the mysterious death of royal prisoner Sha Bahadur Gurung, who was detained at Chamjang Central Prison in Thimphu, Bhutan. They have demanded an independent, impartial and credible investigation into the incident and holding the perpetrators accountable.

Gurung, 65, a resident of Chirang, Bhutan, had been serving a life sentence for crimes against the state for 35 years. According to rights activists, he was arrested for participating in a peaceful pro-democracy demonstration.

Gurung is one of 31 prisoners of war arrested in 1990. He was initially held in Bhutan's Rabuna Prison. According to family sources, Gurung had been suffering mental and physical torture and inhumane treatment for a long time while in detention. According to rights activists, Gurung was found unconscious in prison on the morning of November 11. However, it is claimed that he died because he was not taken to the hospital in time.

Rights activists have accused Gurung of being the result of the Bhutanese government's insensitive and repressive policies towards human rights. They have reminded that the right to life with dignity, the right to be free from torture and inhumane treatment, freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly are fundamental human rights.

They believe that this incident is a direct violation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and international laws against torture, to which the Bhutanese government has pledged. In addition, rights activists say that this incident is not in line with the commitments made to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

They conclude that this incident raises serious questions about the safety of other prisoners of conscience in Bhutan. Rights activists and human rights organizations have demanded that the Bhutanese government conduct a credible and impartial investigation into Gurung's death, prosecute the perpetrators, and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience.

They have also urged the Indian government, the United Nations, and the international community to show serious concern about the incident and take initiatives for justice and accountability. In addition, the Nepal government has also been called upon to use all available diplomatic channels to protect the human rights and freedoms of the Bhutanese people.

Rights activists and related human rights organizations:

Charan Prasai - Human Rights activist

Baburam Giri - Siran

Bed Bhattarai - Former Secretary, National Human Rights Commission Nepal

Bikash Basnet - Director, Advocacy Forum Nepal

Dr. Birendra Mishra

Dinesh Tripathi - Senior Advocate

Devendra Prasad Adhikar - PhD

Indra Aryal - President, Huron

Kapil Aryal - Human Rights and Justice Center

Khagendra Wali

Vidyadhar Mallik

Manisha Shrestha - National Network of Conflict Victims

Manju Gurung - Poorkhi Nepal