November 21, 2014

Four U.S. Congressmen Urge Vietnam to Release Prominent Blogger

by • Nguyen Huu Vinh (Anh Ba Sam)

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by Vu Quoc Ngu, Nov 21, 2014
Defend the Defenders
A group of four members of the U.S. Congress have sent their letter to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to ask him to unconditionally free Nguyen Huu Vinh, a prominent blogger and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy currently under arrest on allegation of conducting anti-state activities.
Anh Ba Sam on the job in Vietnam

Anh Ba Sam on the job in Vietnam

In their letter dated Nov 19, members of Congress Zoe Lofgren, Chris Smith, Loretta Sanchez and Alan Lowenthal said they are concerned about the increasing use of vague and draconian measures like Article 258 to arrest bloggers and other peaceful activists.
They advise the communist government to reconsider the use of Article 258 and other similar laws aimed at restricting speech and silencing the voices that disagree with state-control media.
The U.S. Congressmen said they continue to urge Vietnam to uphold its international commitments to basic human rights.
They also urge the Vietnamese communist government to drop all charges and immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Vinh and Ms. Thuy.
Mr. Vinh, co-founder of AnhBaSam news website, and Ms. Thuy were arrested in May and charged under Article 258 under the Penal Code.
Under pressure of the U.S. and international community, Vietnam has freed 13 political prisoners so far this year, including France-trained law expert Cu Huy Ha Vu and prominent blogger Nguyen Van Hai (aka Dieu Cay) and union activist Do Thi Minh Hanh.
However, a number of peaceful activists are still in jail, including U.S.-trained lawyer Le Quoc Quan, Ta Phong Tan and Nguyen Huu Vinh.
Vietnam’s communists have vowed to keep the country under one-party regime, and have intensified political crackdown to silence local dissent.
Vietnam, together with China, is among Asia’s biggest prisons for journalists, according to the Reporters without Borders.
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