VN: ICJ condemns the investigation of Professor Dang Dinh Manh because of the Tinh That Bong Lai case

 

Vietnam Post | March 17, 2023

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has just sent an open letter to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, condemning the ongoing investigation into human rights lawyer Dang Dinh Manh under article 331 of the Penal Code.

The investigation, according to the ICJ, is related to the lawful exercise of Mr. Manh’s rights, defense obligations and freedom of expression in the case of Thien Am on the edge of the universe, also known as Tinh That Bong Lai.

ICJ information that, on March 2, 2023, lawyer Dang Dinh Manh was summoned and questioned by the Investigation Police Department of Long An Province.

The incident took place after the Ministry of Public Security proposed to prosecute him under article 331 of the Penal Code for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, organizations and individuals” by posting pictures. photos, there are statements, articles online through videos.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), commented on Twitter on March 15 about the incident. He called the ICJ’s open letter a “great intervention” with Manh’s case.

Commenting to BBC News Vietnamese on March 17, Mr. Phil Robertson said:

“Vietnam is going after Dang Dinh Manh because they are tired of facing him in court and having him expose the irony of the Vietnamese judiciary. His true crime, in in the eyes of the authorities, it is to dare to challenge human rights crimes in the deepening crackdown on any dissent.”

In an open letter dated March 13 to Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long and Minister of Public Security To Lam, Ian Seiderman, ICJ’s Director of Legal and Policy, said that the criminal investigation into Dang Dinh Manh appears to be involved in his work representing human rights defenders, dissidents and other clients in seemingly sensitive cases, including the Tinh Tinh case. That Bong Lai.

In addition, Mr. Seiderman also raised concerns about Article 331, which is inconsistent with international human rights law on the protection of freedom of expression because it is vague and too broad, and unnecessarily restrictive and unnecessary. commensurate with the legitimate activities of human rights defenders and lawyers.

The ICJ representative said that the law is “vague and ambiguous, which imposes unnecessary and inappropriate restrictions on the legitimate activities” of human rights defenders and activists. civil society, and social media activists.

Since then, the ICJ has called on the Ministry of Justice and Public Security of Vietnam to immediately “put an end to arbitrary criminal investigation measures” against lawyer Dang Dinh Manh and other lawyers in order to harm their work and rights. their freedom of expression as human rights lawyers.

Dan Tri newspaper reported that on March 14, the police of Long An province had a summons to lawyers Dao Kim Lan and Dang Dinh Manh (and the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association) related to crime reports from the Cybersecurity Department. and Crime Prevention using high technology (A05 – Ministry of Public Security).

Accordingly, Mr. Lan, Manh and 3 other lawyers participated in the defense of the defendants in the case of abusing freedom and democracy, infringing upon the interests of the State and the legitimate interests of organizations and individuals. was born at the Bong Lai Pure House.