May 16, 2013
On 23 May 2013, the appeal trial of Messrs Ho Duc Hoa, Thai Van Dung, Paulus Le Son, Nguyen Xuan Anh, Tran Minh Nhat, Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Ho Van Oanh and Nguyen Van Duyet is due to take place. The eight human rights defenders were arrested between August and December 2011, and were in pre-trial detention until their conviction in January 2013.
They were convicted along with six other members of the Catholic organisation Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Dong Chua Cuu), and are actively involved in the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights in Vietnam. All eight were sentenced under Article 79 of the Vietnamese Penal Code which refers to “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.”
Ho Duc Hoa is a community organiser and social activist who also signed a petition calling for the release of Dr Cu Huy Ha Vu. Cu Huy Ha Vu is a pro-democracy activist who was nominated for the Front Line Defenders award in 2012. Ho Duc Hoa was arrested on 30 July 2011 and faces thirteen years in prison followed by five years of house arrest.
Thai Van Dung is a citizen journalist, trained by the Vietnam Redemptorist News, who covered the trial of Cu Huy Ha Vu. He was arrested on 19 August 2011 and faces five years in prison followed by three years house arrest.
Paulus Le Son was arrested on 2 August 2011 and faces thirteen years in prison with five years house arrest. He is a blogger and journalist with the Vietnam Redemptorist News who also covered the trial of Cu Hay Ha Vu.
Nguyen Xuan Anh is a social activist who faces five years in prison with three years house arrest.
Tran Minh Nhat is a journalist with the Vietnam Redemptorist News; he was arrested on 27 August 2011, and was convicted to four years imprisonment with three years house arrest.
Ho Van Oanh was arrested on 16 August 2011 and sentenced to three years imprisonment. He was previously arrested for attempting to attend the trial of Cu Huy Ha Vu.
Nguyen Van Duyet is a journalist with the Vietnam Redemptorist News and covered the trial of Dr Cu Huy Ha Vu. He was arrested on 7 August 2011 and was sentenced to six years in prison with four years house arrest.
Nguyen Dinh Cuong worked on publicising the arrests of the other human rights defenders and was himself arrested on 24 December 2011. He has been sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Front Line Defenders reiterates its grave concerns over the legitimacy of this trial, as well as the reported ill-treatment of the human rights defenders whilst in detention. Front Line Defenders calls for the convictions of all eight human rights defenders to be overturned and for them to be released immediately as it is believed the convictions and sentences are solely motivated by their peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights.
Source: Front Line Defenders
