A court in northwest China has rejected an appeal from a Tibetan environmentalist who was sentenced to 15 years in prison .The charges against Karma Samdrup — named philanthropist of the year in 2006 by state broadcaster CCTV — date back to 1998 but were not pursued until this year. Supporters have said the June 24 trial was aimed at punishing Karma Samdrup after he spoke up for his two brothers who were detained after accusing local officials in eastern Tibet of poaching endangered species. Authorities in tightly controlled Tibet are extremely sensitive to social activism and criticism, either explicit or implied.
The Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture Intermediate Court never responded to the documents filed for Karma Samdrup's appeal and have not explained why they rejected it.