May 24, 2012
Hanoi – A court in central Vietnam on Thursday sentenced four Catholic activists to a total of nearly 10 years in prison for handing out pro-democracy leaflets, their lawyer said.
The men, aged 23 to 25, were convicted of spreading propaganda against the state, Vuong Thi Thanh said.
Photographs on blogs showed hundreds of protesters gathered outside the People’s Court in Nghe An province during Thursday’s half-day trial.
Three of the students received jail terms of three to three and a half years plus periods of house arrest. The court handed another defendant an 18-month suspended sentence.
The students took part in activities to promote the Catholic faith, such as encouraging women not to have abortions, donating blood and volunteering to help victims of natural disasters, Human Rights Watch said. They were arrested between August and December.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the four men had been charged with disseminating propaganda against the state but did not release details of the case.
Chu Van Nghiem, the father of one of the students, was quoted on one blog as saying the four had been forced to make false confessions.
Human Rights Watch condemned the sentencing.
“It’s outrageous the Vietnam government has again defied its international commitments to protect free speech and freedom of religion,” deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said.
The court in Nghe An sentenced two other Catholic activists in March to three and five years for handing out anti-government leaflets.
Twelve more Catholic bloggers and activists are in detention awaiting investigation or trial, according to the rights group.
Source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur
