Go Sherab GYATSO

A prominent Tibetan writer, educator and public intellectual, throughout 2025, Gosher continued to serve a 10-year prison sentence reportedly imposed following a secret trial held in December 2021. According to the Chinese government, he was detained by state security services on 26 October 2020 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on suspicion of ‘inciting secession’. He was later transferred to the Tibet Autonomous Region, where he was formally charged on 3 February 2021 (see Case Lists 2021-2025).  

Serious concerns persist regarding Gosher’s health and access to adequate medical care. At the time of his detention, he was reportedly seeking medical treatment for a chronic lung condition. In July 2024, PEN International raised Gosher’s case and called for his release during the adoption of China’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council. 

Born on 9 September 1976, Gosher is the author of more than 10 books, including Wake Up (2007), General Knowledge & the Path (2011) and Insights of a Thinker (2013). His writing focuses primarily on Tibetan Buddhism, language, and culture. An outspoken intellectual and advocate for Tibetan monastic education, Gosher has been repeatedly targeted by the authorities. This is the fourth time he has been imprisoned by Chinese authorities, having previously been detained in 1998, 2008, and 2011 for criticising government restrictions on Tibetan religious and cultural practices.