The Italian Parliament has repeatedly raised its concern about the plight of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche in recent weeks. On 21st April, the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Italian Senate unanimously passed a resolution condemning China’s execution of Lobsang Dhondup in January 2003 and calling on China to “stop the execution of Tenzin Delek Rimpoche” and to conduct “a new fair trial”.

The Senate’s resolution was presented by Senator Alessandro Forlani, Member of the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet, who was a member of the Italian Parliamentary delegation to visit Dharmsala, seat of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, in December 2002. During the Senate’s discussion of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s case, Mrs. Margherita Boniver, Italian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, expressed her support for the well-respected Tibetan monk sentenced to death by China.

On 11 March, the Italian Chamber of Deputies unanimously passed a similar resolution in support of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. A public statement initiated by Mr. Gianni Vernetti, MP, Chair of the Italian Parliamentary Group for Tibet, and signed by 144 Parliamentarians of all Italian political parties was also issued in mid March. This statement called on the Italian Government to encourage China to: (i) stop the execution of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche; (ii) call for a new fair trial that is open to international observers; and (iii) immediately release Tenzin Delek.