VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK

 

14550 Magnolia Street, Suite 203, Westminster, CA 92683

Tel.: (714) 897-1950; (714) 657-9488

Email: vnhrnet@vietnamhumanrights.net

http://www.vnhrnet.org

 

 

 

Statement

On the Convictions of Four Democracy Activists

 

In a hasty one-day court session on January 20, 2010 in Saigon, Vietnam Government has sentenced Lawyer Le Cong Dinh five years in prison and three years probation, Mr Nguyen Tien Trung seven years in prison and three years probation, Mr. Le Thang Long 5 years in prison, and Mr. Tran Huynh Duy Thuc 16 years in prison and five years probation, with charges of "activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s government" (Article 79 the Criminal Code of SRV) 

The Vietnam Human Rights Network takes for granted that those individuals have only exercised the very basic rights recognized by the International Bill of Human Rights and even by the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to peacefully advocate for freedom, democracy, and human rights with their unquestionable patriotism and a high sense of responsibility worthy of admiration. 

Facing the escalating repression against democracy activists, and especially the practice of criminalizing their legitimate political expressions, we the Vietnam Human Rights Network firmly: 

1. Denounce the illegitimate convictions and imprisonment of the four democracy activists Le Cong Dinh, Nguyen Tien Trung, Le Thang Long, and Tran Huynh Duy Thuc; 

2. Demand Vietnam Government to immediately release the four dissidents, together with all other prisoners of conscience currently in detention for their completely peaceful activities;

3. Call on democratic governments and international human rights organizations to intervene to secure the release of the four dissidents, and the respect for their rights to freely express their political opinions as specified by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

 

California, the 20th of January 2010

Vietnam Human Rights Network

 

 

 

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