Vinh, 7 months jail for two Catholics who fought for religious freedom

asia newsAsia News
October 25, 2013

Vinh (AsiaNews) – Disappointment, anger, dismay: this is the reaction of family, priests and parishioners in My yen following the sentence imposed on two Vietnamese Catholics in prison for months, for having fought in favor of human rights and religious freedom. The entire Vietnamese Catholic community had fought for their release and their story, thanks to the commitment and testimony of the Bishop of Vinh Msgr. Paul Nguyen Thai Hop, had garnered international interest. However, a court in the coastal region in north-central Vietnam issued the verdict on charges of “disturbing” public order. A specious charge frequently used by judges and by the communist authorities to silence dissent and free voices in the country.

On 23 October, the judges of the Court of Vinh , capital of the province of Nghe An, sentenced 53 year old Ngo Van Khoi to seven months in prison and Nguyen Van Hai , 43, to six months in jail (pictured a time of trial ) . The hearing lasted about three hours in a closed-door trial that not even the family were informed of.

The two were arrested last June, in the weeks after the authorities had announced their release on several occasions but never carried out their promise. Their failure to release the two sparked animated protests violently repressed by Vietnamese police, as happened on September 4 with numerous injuries and several arrests. In response to the faithful – steadfast in supporting priests and diocesan leaders in the fight for the freedom of the parishioners – celebrated Masses and prayer vigils, attended by tens of thousands of people . Continue Reading…