Norzin spent weeks in various hospitals one month after being released in critical health and denied immediate medical treatment

Norzin Wangmo, a Tibetan political prisoner and mother of three children, is in critical health after being denied access to immediate medical treatment. In June, the month after her release, she sought admission at Markham, Kyegudo, and Xining People’s Hospitals, but doctors declared her injuries to be beyond treatment.

Norzin Wangmo

A Tibetan source confirmed that she is currently in near-death condition at Xining Hospital. She is in her thirties and her children, aged between two to five, are now being cared for by her husband.

Norzin Wangmo is originally from Chigril Township in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. She was arrested in May 2020 and accused of sharing information with Tibetans in exile about the self-immolation of Tenzin Sherab.

The exact date of Norzin’s detention is not currently known, but it has been established that she was interrogated for 24 hours while in police custody. The next day was the only time her family was granted access to meet her. The meeting was brief, and she was in handcuffs, surrounded by police. Even on that day, her family was not allowed to give her food and clothes.

Her trial took place in secret in May 2020 at Chumarleb County People’s Court, where she was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.

While serving her sentence in Kyegudo Women’s Prison, Norzin Wangmo was forced to undergo reform through labour. Her family’s multiple requests to see her were rejected and they were also prevented from handing over clothes and food for her.

Both Norzin and Tenzin’s homeland isin Chumarleb County, in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The county is also part of Hoh Xil Nature Reserve which was controversially nominated as UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 2017, despite concerns about the forced resettlement of Tibetan nomads.