Nine Activists Jailed with Total 83 Years in Prison for Disseminating Anti-state Leaflets

Activists on the trial on December 27, 2017

Defend the Defenders, December 28, 2017

On December 27, the People’s Court in Vietnam’s central province of Binh Dinh convicted nine activists who disseminated anti-state leaflets on allegation of subversion and anti-state propaganda, according to state media.

Ta Tan Loc, 42, Nguyen Quang Thanh, 34, Nguyen Van Nghia, 39, and Nguyen Van Tuan, 33, were accused of “Carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the country’s 1999 Penal Code while Pham Long Dai, 21, Doan Thi Bich Thuy, 45, Truong Thi Thu Hang, 33, and Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, 23, were alleged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the law.

According to the court’s indictments, the group connected with foreign-based organizations and printed anti-state leaflets and disseminated them in An Nhon town, Tuy Phuoc district and Quy Nhon city on February 16.

The court gave total 83 years of prison for the group. Particularly, Thanh and Loc were sentenced to 14 years each, Dat was given with 13 years while the remaining were sentenced to between three and 12 years. The first three were given additional three years under house arrest each afterward.

Vietnam has arrested 40 activists this year on allegation of anti-state activities and convicted 20 activists, giving them hard sentences of between three and 16 years in prison and many years of probation.

In addition, many activists have been detained and kidnapped as well as brutally beaten by police officers or plainclothes agents.