Vietnam journalists who criticised government jailed for 'spreading propaganda'
The journalists were convicted at one-day trial and sentenced to between 11 and
15 years in jail
The Guardian
| Jan 05 2021
A court in Vietnam has
sentenced three freelance journalists known for their criticism of government to
between 11 and 15 years in prison, after finding them guilty of spreading
anti-state propaganda.
Pham Chi
Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan were convicted of “making, storing,
spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the state”
at a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday, the Ministry of Public
Security said.
Dung
established the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam in 2014, which
police said had sought regime change.
Under the
leadership of 76-year-old Nguyen
Phu Trong, Vietnam’s ruling Communist party has intensified a crackdown
on dissent ahead of its five-yearly congress due to be held later
this month.
Dung was
jailed for 15 years and Thuy and Tuan 11 years each.
Washington-based Radio Free Asia said Thuy had contributed commentary to RFA’s
Vietnamese Service, and condemned the convictions.
“The harsh
sentencing of Thuy and two other independent journalists is a blatant assault on
basic freedoms and flies in the face of the freedom of expression enshrined in
Vietnam’s constitution,” RFA President Stephen Yates said in a statement.
RFA said two
other RFA Vietnamese contributors were already serving jail terms in Vietnam:
Truong Duy Nhat, a blogger who was sentenced last March to 10 years, and Nguyen
Van Hoa, a videographer who was sentenced in November 2017 to seven years.
The US state
department, which has developed close ties with Hanoi while remaining concerned
about its human rights record, said it was disappointed by the latest sentences,
calling them “harsh” and “the latest in a worrisome trend”.
“We urge the
Vietnamese government to ensure its actions are consistent with the human rights
provisions of its constitution and its international obligations and
commitments,” a spokesperson said.
Amnesty
International said the sentences underscored Hanoi’s contempt for a free press ,
particularly before the congress.
“Even by its
own deeply repressive standards, the severity of the sentences show the depths
being reached by Vietnam’s censors,” said its deputy regional director,
Emerlynne Gil.
Human Rights
Watch, called the charges “bogus”. “If the ruling party is so assured in its
leadership, it should demonstrate its confidence by respecting civil and
political rights,” its deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, said.
[Home] [About us] [Bills of Rights] [Documents] [H R Reports] [VNHR Awards] [HR Forum] [Links]
|