Vietnam: Father Nguyen Van Ly arrested again
The priest, one of the
founders of a movement for democracy that calls for an end to single party rule,
is serving a sentence of 8 years in prison. He was released last year for
serious health condition.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
By
Asia News
Hue - Father Nguyen Van Ly,
the priest among the founding members of "Bloc 8406", a movement that demands
the end of the single party in Vietnam has been arrested again. Imprisoned in
2007 (photo: the trial) with a sentence of eight years, he was released in March
last year because of his serious health condition.
Yesterday, at 14 (local time), as reported by Father Phan Van Loi, the police
went to Nha Chung, the office of Bishop of Hue, where the priest had to live,
and arrested him. The police agents had brought an ambulance, as Father Van Ly
had suffered several strokes in recent years that left him partially paralyzed.
His precarious health, along with criticism of Hanoi by human rights groups, the
U.S. governments and the European Union, had prompted authorities to suspend the
prison term for a year, forcing him under house arrest at the bishop’s
residence. Since his house arrest, Father Ly had begun to send written
denouncements of serious human rights violations of the Communist Party and the
Vietnamese government.
Father Phan Van Loi says that "before the police arrested Father Vn Ly they
asked Father Vien Le Quang, head of the bishop’s office, to sign a statement.
The priest wrote that 'Father Van Ly is still sick. He has not recovered from
his illness'. The police at first objected, but eventually accepted the document
written by Father Le Quang Vien. Within minutes they arrested Father Ly ".
In March, the police had met with Father Ly to ask him to write an application
to request not to have to go back to prison, but the request was decisively
rejected.
It is known that Father Ly was again taken to the prison in Ha Nam, Kim Bang
district, Ha Nam province.
Source: Asia News