On May 25, the People’s Court of Da Nang held the first-instance hearing to try local activist and human rights defender Bui Tuan Lam (aka Peter Lam Bui) on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Clause 1, Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
After nearly five hours, the court sentenced the 39-year-old father of three daughters to 66 months in prison and four years of probation.
He was accused of making 17 articles and a number of videos posted on Facebook and Youtube with the anti-state content.
The trial was open, however, his parents, wife, and siblings as well as a representative from the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam were not allowed to enter the courtroom to observe the hearing.
One of his lawyer, Ngo Anh Tuan, was expelled from the courtroom when he requested a representative from the city’s Procuracy for further explanation of his agency’s indictment.
After the trial ended, security forces beat and detained two younger brothers of the convicted together with his wife. They were taken to the headquarters of the Hoa Cuong Bac commune People Committee near the headquarters of the city’s People’s Court. The three were interrogated and the two guys were released shortly while Mrs. Le Thanh Lam was held until 6 pm.
Lam said during interrogation, police officers violently took her belongings, including her cell phone. The police requested her to open the phone and when she denied, they cursed her with dirty words. Later, they likely put the cell phone into water in order to destroy it because they think she took many pictures when staying outside of the court.
Prisoner of conscience Nguyen Van Duc Do accused authorities in Xuan Loc Prison camp (Dong Nai province) of selling unhygienic water which caused serious health problems for him and his inmate.
16-year-jailed Activist Tran Huynh Duy Thuc on Hunger Strike
On May 24, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc started his hunger strike to demand for being release. It is unclear how long will be his fasting this time.
Thuc had conducted hunger strike several times since his incarceration.
Before his arrest on 24 May 2009, he was a successful businessman in IT/Internet field.
He was first charged with “stealing telephone sim card” but later was convicted subversion under Article 79 of the 1999 Penal Code.
Some believed the authorities wanted to arrest him as they wanted to monopolize the emerging lucrative IT/Internet services.
He also wrote insightful articles about the political, economic… situation in Vietnam in his blogs Tran Dong Chan, Change We Need… This was one more reason for the regime wanting to suppress him.
In 2015, a new Criminal Code was passed which superseded the Penal Code 1999. According to the new code, the maximum prison sentence for the type of activities Thuc was accused of is only five years. The new code was supposed to go into effect in 2017, pending amendments and changes.
In July 2018, Thuc wrote a letter to the People’s Supreme Court to request a review of his sentence, which by law should result in his release.
80 rights organizations demand release of environmental lawyer and rights defender Dang Dinh Bach
Many international human rights groups and professional organizations have launched campaigns to call on Vietnam’s regime to free environmental activist Dang Dinh Bach, who was convicted of the trumped-up tax evasion and sentenced to five years in prison.
Together with more than 80 other human rights organizations, the Observatory for the protection of human rights defenders (FIDH-OMCT) calls for the release of environmental lawyer Dang Dinh Bach, who has been arbitrarily detained on trumped-up tax evasion charges in retaliation for his legitimate human rights activities since 24 June 2021.
On May 11, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued its final opinions saying his arrest and conviction are arbitrary and went against Vietnam’s international commitments on human rights.
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May 30, 2023
Vietnam Defend the Defenders (DTD)’s Weekly Report for May 22-28, 2023: Activist Bui Tuan Lam Sentenced to 66 Months for Online Posts
by Defend the Defenders • [Human Rights], DEFENDER’S WEEKLY
Defend the Defenders | May 28, 2023
On May 25, the People’s Court of Da Nang held the first-instance hearing to try local activist and human rights defender Bui Tuan Lam (aka Peter Lam Bui) on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Clause 1, Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
After nearly five hours, the court sentenced the 39-year-old father of three daughters to 66 months in prison and four years of probation.
He was accused of making 17 articles and a number of videos posted on Facebook and Youtube with the anti-state content.
The trial was open, however, his parents, wife, and siblings as well as a representative from the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam were not allowed to enter the courtroom to observe the hearing.
One of his lawyer, Ngo Anh Tuan, was expelled from the courtroom when he requested a representative from the city’s Procuracy for further explanation of his agency’s indictment.
After the trial ended, security forces beat and detained two younger brothers of the convicted together with his wife. They were taken to the headquarters of the Hoa Cuong Bac commune People Committee near the headquarters of the city’s People’s Court. The three were interrogated and the two guys were released shortly while Mrs. Le Thanh Lam was held until 6 pm.
Lam said during interrogation, police officers violently took her belongings, including her cell phone. The police requested her to open the phone and when she denied, they cursed her with dirty words. Later, they likely put the cell phone into water in order to destroy it because they think she took many pictures when staying outside of the court.
For further reading:
Vietnamese activist known as ‘Onion Bae’ sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison, RFA, May 25
Prisoner of conscience Nguyen Van Duc Do accused authorities in Xuan Loc Prison camp (Dong Nai province) of selling unhygienic water which caused serious health problems for him and his inmate.
For details:
Vietnamese prisoner of conscience accuses jailers of giving him contaminated water, RFA, May 23
16-year-jailed Activist Tran Huynh Duy Thuc on Hunger Strike
On May 24, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc started his hunger strike to demand for being release. It is unclear how long will be his fasting this time.
Thuc had conducted hunger strike several times since his incarceration.
Before his arrest on 24 May 2009, he was a successful businessman in IT/Internet field.
He was first charged with “stealing telephone sim card” but later was convicted subversion under Article 79 of the 1999 Penal Code.
Some believed the authorities wanted to arrest him as they wanted to monopolize the emerging lucrative IT/Internet services.
He also wrote insightful articles about the political, economic… situation in Vietnam in his blogs Tran Dong Chan, Change We Need… This was one more reason for the regime wanting to suppress him.
In 2015, a new Criminal Code was passed which superseded the Penal Code 1999. According to the new code, the maximum prison sentence for the type of activities Thuc was accused of is only five years. The new code was supposed to go into effect in 2017, pending amendments and changes.
In July 2018, Thuc wrote a letter to the People’s Supreme Court to request a review of his sentence, which by law should result in his release.
80 rights organizations demand release of environmental lawyer and rights defender Dang Dinh Bach
Many international human rights groups and professional organizations have launched campaigns to call on Vietnam’s regime to free environmental activist Dang Dinh Bach, who was convicted of the trumped-up tax evasion and sentenced to five years in prison.
Together with more than 80 other human rights organizations, the Observatory for the protection of human rights defenders (FIDH-OMCT) calls for the release of environmental lawyer Dang Dinh Bach, who has been arbitrarily detained on trumped-up tax evasion charges in retaliation for his legitimate human rights activities since 24 June 2021.
On May 11, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued its final opinions saying his arrest and conviction are arbitrary and went against Vietnam’s international commitments on human rights.