After spending over eighteen years in prison, Mr Chatur Man Tamang and Mr Hasta Bahadur Rai now face the immense challenge of rebuilding their lives in Beldangi Refugee Camp, Nepal, with almost no resources. They need our solidarity and support to begin again with dignity, security, and hope for the future.

We respectfully appeal to friends of human rights, members of the Bhutanese community, humanitarian organisations, and compassionate individuals worldwide to support these two former political prisoners as they begin a new chapter in their lives.

Mr Chatur Man Tamang was arrested on 17 February 2008, and Mr Hasta Bahadur Rai was arrested on 18 February 2008. Both men were detained in Chamgang Central Jail in Bhutan until their release on 1 June 2026. Independent Attestations of Detention issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in New Delhi on 29 June 2026 confirm their detention and record that ICRC delegates visited them between 13 January 2009 and 10 September 2012. The attestations identify Mr Chatur Man Tamang under ICRC Registration No. BTN-000454-01 and Mr Hasta Bahadur Rai under ICRC Registration No. BTN-000456-01, providing independent documentary confirmation of their prolonged detention.

On 23 April 2026, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) adopted Opinion No. 11/2026 (A/HRC/WGAD/2026/11), concluding that the detention of Mr Tamang and Mr Rai was arbitrary under four separate categories of international human rights law. The Working Group found that Bhutan had violated their fundamental rights, including the rights to liberty, due process, and a fair trial. It called upon the Royal Government of Bhutan to provide them with an effective remedy, including compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.

Following their release, instead of being allowed to return home or reintegrate into Bhutanese society, they were forcibly transported by the Bhutanese authorities to the Indian border town of Jaigaon and left there without any official documents confirming their identity, legal status, or the circumstances of their imprisonment. Without recognised documentation, they were denied entry into Nepal by the Indian authorities at the Nepal–India border. As a result, they spent nearly one month moving between tea gardens in the Dooars region of West Bengal, surviving through the kindness and generosity of local residents while searching for a safe way to reach Nepal. They eventually arrived at Beldangi Refugee Camp in eastern Nepal, where they are now trying to rebuild their lives from nothing.

Before their imprisonment, both men had been registered residents of Beldangi Refugee Camp. Eighteen years of unlawful imprisonment deprived them not only of their liberty but also of the opportunity to pursue education and employment, support their families, acquire property, and establish secure futures. Having lost nearly two decades of their lives, they have returned with virtually nothing. Their immediate priority is to construct a modest hut to provide themselves with safe shelter and a place they can once again call home.

They urgently require humanitarian assistance to meet their most basic needs, including shelter-building materials, food, clothing, medical care, household essentials, and support to rebuild independent, dignified lives within the refugee community. Even a small contribution from each of us can make a meaningful difference. Your generosity, however modest, can help them restart their lives with dignity in Beldangi Refugee Camp after more than 18 years of unjust imprisonment.

Their release has been welcomed by the international human rights community. Human Rights Watch has highlighted their cases, noting that although Mr Tamang and Mr Rai have finally regained their freedom, many Bhutanese political prisoners remain in detention. Human Rights Watch has also appealed for humanitarian assistance in recognition of their difficult circumstances and the absence of official documentation following their release.

We therefore call upon individuals, community organisations, civil society groups, faith communities, and well-wishers around the world to stand in solidarity with Mr Tamang and Mr Rai by extending humanitarian support during this critical period of transition.

Together, we can help ensure that those who have suffered years of injustice are not forgotten and are given a genuine opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity, hope, and renewed purpose.