European Parliament Urges China to Free Panchen Lama

The European Parliament called for the unconditional release of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, during the 42nd EU-China Inter-Parliamentary Meeting in Brussels. Members of the European Parliament raised Tibet’s human rights situation as part of wider concerns over China’s record. The meeting, the first since 2018, followed China’s lifting of sanctions on several MEPs earlier this year. Lawmakers also cited detained figures Ilham Tohti, Jimmy Lai, and Gui Minhai. Ahead of the talks, the Office of Tibet, Brussels, and the International Campaign for Tibet urged MEPs to raise Tibet’s case.