Prisoners of Conscience.

The article focuses on international human rights organizations urging the Bhutanese government to release dozens of political prisoners, many from the Nepali-speaking Lhotshampa minority, who have been detained for decades under harsh conditions. Groups such as South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and UN human rights experts highlight that these prisoners were convicted under broad national security laws following protests against discrimination and that their imprisonment often involved torture and unfair trials. The article also notes severe restrictions on press freedom and civil society in Bhutan, with government control limiting independent reporting and silencing dissent. The UN experts call on King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to use his constitutional power to pardon these prisoners and recommend legal reforms and reconciliation efforts to address historic injustices against the Lhotshampa community. [Extracted from the article]