The People’s Court of Đắk Lắk, Vietnam, sentenced human rights defender Dr Nguyễn Đình Thắng to 11 years in prison on charges of terrorism under Article 299(2) of Vietnam’s Penal Code at a trial in absentia on 28 April.
The authorities claimed that investigators have gathered sufficient evidence that Dr Thắng, a US citizen and president of Vietnamese-American human rights organisation Boat People SOS (BPSOS), directed, incited and facilitated actions carried out by one of the co-founders of the human rights organisation Montagnards Stand for Justice, Y Quynh Bdap, and other individuals inside Vietnam, in connection with a violent attack on communist party offices in Đắk Lắk on 11 June 2023.
The court claimed in its verdict that Dr Thắng’s actions are ‘exceptionally dangerous to society, infringing upon national security and public order.’ Dr Thắng strongly denies the charges, however no defence was permitted at the trial.
The case unfolds against a broader backdrop of escalating pressure on overseas Vietnamese human rights advocates. In February 2025 Vietnamese state media declared BPSOS a ‘terrorist organisation’, accusing it of assisting groups and individuals seen as hostile to the government, publicly labelling its leadership as terrorists, and disclosing Dr. Thắng’s home address.
On 28 November 2025 Thai authorities handed Y Quynh Bdap, a UN-recognised refugee, to Vietnamese officials after a prolonged campaign of transnational repression during which Bdap was charged in absentia along with nearly 100 other members of the Montagnard ethnic group in connection with various terrorism-related charges. This trial was widely denounced as unfair and illegitimate by UN human rights officials. Shortly after the handover, Bdap was flown to Vietnam, where he faces ten years in prison on fabricated terrorism charges.
Human rights advocates argue that the terrorism designation and now the criminal charges reflect an escalating effort by the Vietnamese government to silence dissent and intimidate civil society leaders abroad, warning that these actions risk further undermining freedoms of expression, association, and religion or belief.
The government is also currently undertaking a review of its 2025 immigration and citizen law which will grant it greater powers to cancel passports of individuals deemed to have engaged in ‘anti-state activities.’ The new provisions will come into effect on 1 June.
Speaking to CSW after the sentence was passed, Dr Thắng said: ‘Vietnam’s communist regime has for the last two years escalated transnational repression against human rights defenders who expose religious persecution and other rights violations in Vietnam. It does not want the world to realise the situation is getting so much worse in the country.’
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘Dr Thắng is a friend, colleague, and tireless advocate for advancing freedom of religion or belief for all. It is travesty and an injustice that the Vietnamese government is seeking to threaten, disparage and bring spurious charges against him. This is a human rights defender held in the highest regard, and attempts to silence him will fail. Vietnam must be held to account for this action, which yet again makes a mockery of its standing as a member of the UN Human Rights Council.’