Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
c/o Embassy of Vietnam
1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
August 22, 2014
Dear Prime Minister Dung:
We write to urge the immediate release of imprisoned human rights attorney Le Quoc Quan, who was arrested in December 2012. We are concerned that Mr. Quan, a well-known blogger and human rights advocate, has been detained on trumped up charges of tax evasion, and is being wrongfully held for the peaceful expression of his views.
As you are aware, last year, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) called for Mr. Quan’s release, determining his detention to be arbitrary and in violation of legal standards including articles 9 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Vietnam is a party. Although the government of Vietnam has indicated an interest in strengthening both economic and security ties with the United States, we are concerned that the continued imprisonment of political prisoners like Le Quoc Quan, shows a lack of commitment to respect for human rights. As Secretary of State John Kerry made clear last December, “Vietnam needs to show a continued progress on human rights and freedom, including the freedom of religion, the freedom of expression and the freedom of association.” We urge the Vietnamese government to uphold its commitments to international law and to release Mr. Quan immediately and unconditionally.
Sincerely,
Zoe Lofgren
Member of Congress
Alan Lowenthal
Member of Congress
Gerry Connolly
Member of Congress
Loretta Sanchez
Member of Congress
