UN Human Rights Asia expressed concern about arrest of HR activist Tran Thi Nga
UN Human Rights - Asia
January 23,
2017
We are concerned
that another Vietnamese human rights activist, Ms Tran Thi Nga (a.k.a. Thuy Nga),
has been arrested and charged under Article 88 of the Penal Code for allegedly
“conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam”.
Ms. Nga, known for defending the rights of Vietnamese migrant workers and
peoples whose lands were seized by authorities, was arrested at her home on
21 January in the northern province of Ha Nam along with her partner, Mr. Phan
Van Phong.
Article 88 is considered a “national security offence” and carries a sentence of
between three and 20 years of imprisonment. It also allows the incommunicado
detention of Ms Tran Thi Nga during the whole period of the investigation, which
is considered to be in itself conducive to torture and may amount to torture
itself, in violation of the Convention against Torture (CAT), which Viet Nam
ratified in February 2015.
Over the past year, our Office has expressed concern about a number of similar
cases involving human rights defenders in Vietnam. Last year, the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein urged the Government of Viet
Nam to repeal Article 88, as well as other provisions that breach international
human rights standards such as articles 79, 87, 245 and 258 of the Penal Code. [http://ow.ly/h3F4308hR1O]