After two months of interrogation by the military, the brothers were handed over to local police to face charges of illegally crossing the border. Unable to communicate in any Indian language, the three men struggled to navigate the legal system. View image in fullscreen An India border police report about the brothers’ arrest in 2013, which describes them as ‘Chinese intruders’. For the past decade Shafi has been fighting for their release on a pro bono basis, but the Indian government remains unmoved. While in prison, the three brothers have learned four local languages as well as English by talking to inmates and reading books and newspapers.

Source: The Guardian December 05, 2025 15:30 UTC