End Political Trials of Human Rights Defenders
July 8, 2013 Update
The trial of Le Quoc Quan, scheduled for July 9, was postponed in the afternoon of July 8. The trial has not been rescheduled.
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(New York) – The Vietnamese government should drop politically motivated charges against Le Quoc Quan, one of Vietnam’s most prominent and respected human rights defenders. Vietnam’s donors should communicate serious concern about Hanoi’s recent crackdown on rights defenders and bloggers, and publicly call for the unconditional release of Le Quoc Quan and other peaceful critics.
Le Quoc Quan’s trial is the most recent in a wave of government prosecutions of bloggers and activists. It follows the May convictions and harsh sentences of Nguyen Phuong Uyen and Dinh Nguyen Kha for circulating leaflets critical of the government and the arrests of popular bloggers Truong Duy Nhat and Pham Viet Dao in May and June.
Le Quoc Quan is scheduled to go on trial on July 9, 2013 at the People’s Court of Hanoi on charges of tax evasion. He is currently being held in a Hanoi prison in a room with dozens of other people.
“Le Quoc Quan is being put on trial because he is a prominent and effective critic,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Instead of addressing popular dissatisfaction with Vietnam’s political system, economic failures, and dire human rights record, the government is simply throwing critics in prison.”
Le Quoc Quan, 41, is a lawyer and blogger advocating human rights and democracy. He was arrested on December 27, 2012, nine days after the British Broadcasting Corporation published his article entitled, “Constitution or a contract for electricity and water service?” The article commented on current discussions about amending Vietnam’s constitution. Le Quoc Quan’s piece criticized the retention of constitutional article 4, which makes the Communist Party preeminent in national life, as well as raising the meaning and importance of a good Constitution for a nation.
Read more: http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/07/07/vietnam-drop-charges-against-le-quoc-quan
