Renewed calls for release of prisoners of conscience on third anniversary of trial

CSW joins other advocates in calling for the release of four prisoners of conscience in Vietnam on the third anniversary of their trial, amid concerns about their health and conditions.

Nguyen Trung Ton, Nguyen Bac Truyen, Pham Van Troi and Truong Minh Duc stood trial on 5 April 2018 accused of ‘carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the government’ under Article 79 of the Vietnamese penal code. They were sentenced to between seven and 12 years in prison. Pro-democracy activist Nguyen Van Dai and his assistant Le Thu Ha were also tried and convicted on the same charge and were released into exile on 7 June 2018; the other four remain in prison.

Hoa Hao Buddhist Nguyen Bac Truyen is a legal expert who has provided pro bono legal assistance to families of political prisoners, victims of land grabs, and persecuted religious communities. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Last year Truyen was awarded the Stefanus Prize for his work promoting human rights in Vietnam, including freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).

In a tweet on 6 April, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan human rights commission based in the US, called for the immediate and unconditional release of Nguyen Bac Truyen. On 3 March 2020, US Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a member of the Commission, formally announced her decision to advocate for Truyen through the Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project, in collaboration with the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and Amnesty International USA.

Nguyen Trung Ton is a human rights defender and Protestant pastor who has advocated for the right to FoRB and spoken out against social injustices. Prior to his imprisonment, Pastor Ton, his family and members of his church were repeatedly and violently attacked by local authorities and police. He is serving a 12 year sentence.

Human rights and pro-democracy activist Pham Van Troi and citizen journalist Truong Minh Duc were sentenced to seven and 12 years respectively following the same one-day trial. In 2019 Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, Duc’s wife, and other family members and supporters of prisoners of conscience, including children, were violently attacked by unknown assailants on their way to visit the prison. According to Defend the Defenders, the assailants included police, plainclothes agents and thugs.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: “On the third anniversary of their one-day trial, CSW again calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Nguyen Trung Ton, Nguyen Bac Truyen, Pham Van Troi and Truong Minh Duc. Over many years Nguyen Trung Ton and Nguyen Bac Truyen have been harassed, threatened and imprisoned simply for supporting and defending some of the most vulnerable people in Vietnam, including religious and ethnic minorities. We condemn the intimidation and harassment of their family members and call for the release of all those detained in Vietnam in connection with the peaceful defence of human rights and freedoms.”