Democracy News

Prominent Vietnamese Political Activist Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison
April 7, 2010
By: Carlos Aramayo | Printer Friendly

On April 4, Vietnamese lawyer Cu Huy Ha Vu was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years under house arrest for the alleged charge of trying to subvert the Vietnamese government. Vu – an advocate for multiparty democracy in Vietnam – was originally detained in November 2010, as part of a government crackdown against activists and bloggers for allegedly spreading propaganda against the state. The case was one of the most highly charged political trials in Vietnam in years because of the Vu’s lineage; his father was a close advisor to Ho Chi Minh – the country’s Communist former leader – and his mother was Minh’s private nurse.

According to BBC News, during the trial Vu told the court he was innocent of the charges: "This criminal case was invented against me. This case is completely illegal." One of Vu’s lawyers was ejected from the court after making procedural objections, and his three other lawyers walked out in protest.

Hanoi judges stated that Vu’s behavior had been "harmful to society." The New York Times reported that Judge Nguyen Huu Chinh stated, “Born and raised into a revolutionary family, he – Vu – did not sustain that tradition but instead committed erroneous acts. His writings and interviews blackened directly or indirectly the Communist Party of Vietnam." It was additionally reported that Tran Dinh Trien, one of Vu’s lawyers, stated that there had been a "serious violation of the law" during the proceedings and requested the “Court of Appeal to abolish this preliminary verdict and to hold a re-trial."

In a press statement, United States (US) Department of State Acting Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said the US “is troubled by the apparent lack of due process in the conduct of the trial, and the continued detention of several individuals who were peacefully seeking to observe the proceedings.”

Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson stated, “Our assumption has got to be that they are trying to silence him, but I think they are probably looking beyond him also to other persons within the revolutionary elite who might want to raise their voice about what is happening, about corruption, malfeasance, abuse of human rights, land grabbing and the other things that are increasingly being raised by civil society groups from across the spectrum [in Vietnam]."

The Vietnamese government has come under increasing scrutiny from both the domestic and international community for its failure to address calls for democratic reform and respect for human rights.

For previous news on Vietnam, please see:
Vietnam Arrests Activists; Clinton Urges Respect for Human Rights

Clinton Criticizes Human Rights Abuses 

Sources:
US Department of State – Vietnam: Conviction of Activist Cu Huy Ha Vu

Voice of America – Vietnamese Dissident Gets 7-Year Jail Sentence

BBC News – Vietnam activist Cu Huy Ha Vu jailed after Hanoi trial

New York Times –Leading Vietnamese Dissident Sentenced to Prison