Bhutan: Death of a Political Prisoner Raises Human Rights Concerns.

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On December 15, Sha Bahadur Gurung died at the Rabuna military prison in Bhutan. Gurung was a political prisoner, detained for 35 years for his participation in the pro-Nepali minority protests in the ‘90s. His death came after decades of harsh incarceration and once again draws attention to the severe conditions endured by political prisoners in the country.

Gurung was arrested following the massive political protests of the Lhotshampa, the Nepali ethnic minority of Bhutan. Predominantly Hindu, in contrast with the Buddhist majority, the Lhotshampa settled in Bhutan in the 19^th century. From the 1970s, the friction with other ethnic groups led to a climate of political violence, in which several discriminatory laws were introduced, and a process of Bhutanization was put in place. This culminated in political unrest in the 1990s and the incarceration of numerous political prisoners.  At the time, Gurung was a member of the Royal Bhutan Army, and he was accused of participating in the protests. Following Human Rights Watch, he was then tortured, denied proper legal counsel, and sentenced to life in prison. He died this December, reportedly after undergoing treatment for an eye condition. As reported by Amnesty International, his family claims that during the years of imprisonment he was subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, and that his health was repeatedly neglected.

Sha Bahadur Gurung was one of the 32 Lhotshampa political prisoners detained in 1990. Those who remain in detention face critical human rights violations. Arbitrary detention and political persecution have been documented by the United Nations in a 2025 report. The report analysed three cases of political detention in the country and documented severe violations of fundamental human rights in all three cases. Besides the arbitrary nature of the detention and the denial of fair trial, it was assessed that the three prisoners were held in dire conditions, lacking adequate food, clothing, and medical care.

The international community expressed serious concern over the death of Gurung. Human rights organisations such as Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, and GCRPPB, the Global Campaign for the Release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan, based in The Hague, have accused the Bhutanese government of denying adequate assistance for Gurung.  These organisations had previously shed light on the prisoners’ conditions in Bhutan, advocating for more awareness at the international level.

Held as a positive example of sustainable development and people-centred policymaking under its flagship Gross National Happiness Index, Bhutan now suffers serious reputational damage from this episode. The detention and harm of political prisoners is the reflection of a wound still open in the country’s history. Decades of political unrest, arbitrary detentions, and forced expulsions are part of the troublesome past of Bhutan. Ensuring the dignity and rights of detainees is not only a legal obligation, but a necessary condition for the country to move beyond its past.

written by Silvio Gabrel Varago