Nguyen Chi Thanh

Evangelist in the Mennonite Church, land rights activist

Birth date: June 17, 1958

Activity: Evangelist in the Mennonite Church, land rights activist

Date of arrest: November 19, 2010

Sentence: Sentenced to 2 years imprisonment followed by 3 years house arrest on May 30, 2011

Charge: Attempting to overthrow the government (Article 79)

Current location: Ben Tre Detention Center, Ben Tre Province


Nguyen Chi Thanh, a bricklayer by profession, is a land rights activist and evangelist in the Mennonite Church. In 2011, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled that the Hanoi government’s detention and conviction of Nguyen Chi Thanh and 6 other activists is in violation of international law.