Activist Tran Bang was proposed for prosecution on “conducting anti-state propaganda”
Police in Ho Chi Minh City have completed investigation against local activist Tran Van Bang (Tran Bang) and transferred his case to the city’s People’s Procuracy with a proposal to prosecute him on “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
The investigation ended in mid January and he is permitted to meet his lawyers and relatives, according to Saigon-based lawyer Dang Dinh Manh, who is hired by Bang’s family to provide legal counseling together with attorney Nguyen Van Mieng.
Mr. Bang, 62, was arrested on March 1, 2022 on allegation of “Making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” per Clause 1, Article 117 which is considered controversial by the international community to silence local dissidents and human rights defenders.
He was held incommunicado until mid-September last year when the city’s Police ended the investigation and transferred the case to the Procuracy. However, the Procuracy returned his case and requested for further investigation.
Lawyer Dang Dinh Manh said according to the final police investigation’s results, his client was accused of producing and posting 31 articles with anti-state content between March 2016 and August 2021. The activist is facing imprisonment of between five and 12 years if convicted.
Meanwhile, Bang’s health is critical with a tumor in his inguinal area although he was sent to medical check-up in December 2022 and January this year.
Bang affirms that he has no plan to oppose the communist regime but criticized it for its wrongdoings. He told his family that he wishes to go abroad for proper medical treatment.
He is among 11 activists arrested on the “conducting anti-state propaganda” allegation last year. In 2022, eight activists were convicted of the charge and sentenced to between five and eight years in prison, according to Defend the Defenders’ statistics.
American Congressmen calls for release of activist Huynh Thuc Vy
Two American lawmakers named Rep. Gerald E. Connolly and Rep. Ro Khanna have urged the Vietnamese government to release Huynh Thuc Vy, a woman serving a 33-month sentence for spraying paint on the country’s national flag.
In his letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on January 31, Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, urged the administration to pressure Vietnam to release Vy, whom he described as an independent blogger writing about human rights and socio-political issues in Vietnam since 2008.
“Vietnam’s politically motivated imprisonment and physical abuse of Ms. Huynh is an affront to freedom of expression and press freedom. She and the 20 other journalists imprisoned in Vietnam as of December 1, 2022, should be released immediately,” Connolly said in the letter.
On the same day, Khanna, a Democrat from California, also called for her release on Twitter.
“I urge the Vietnamese government to release Huynh Thuc Vy, a journalist and human rights activist. The Vietnamese government and prison guards must be held accountable for Vy’s treatment during her imprisonment,” Khanna said.
Khanna said his office would continue to monitor the situation.
On Dec. 30, 2022, Khanna also called on the Vietnamese government to “immediately and unconditionally release” human rights activist Nguyen Thuy Hanh who was arrested in 2021 on the charge of “conducting anti-state propaganda.” She has been forced to receive treatment at a psychiatric hospital in the capital city of Hanoi over the past few months.
Prisoner of Conscience Do The Hoa Freed with Two Eyes Nearly Blind
On February 9, Mr. Do The Hoa, a member of unregistered group Constitution, was released after four years and five months in prison on the allegation of “Disruption of security” under Article 118 of the Criminal Code.
Mr. Hoa, 55, returned home with two eyes nearly blind due to improper treatment in prison.
Hoa was arrested on September 1, 2018 together with seven members of the group which advocates for rules of law. They actively participated in the mass demonstration in HCM City on June 10, 2018 to protest two bills Special Economic Zone and Cyber Security.
In 2020, eight members of the group were convicted and sentenced to a total of 40 years and six months in prison. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
Hoa is the third being freed. Last year, Tran Thanh Phuong was released while Doan Thi Hong was freed one year earlier.
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February 13, 2023
Vietnam Defend the Defenders’ Weekly Report for February 6-12, 2023: Ho Chi Minh City Police Propose to Prosecute Activist Tran Bang on “Conducting Anti-state Propaganda”
by Defend the Defenders • [Human Rights], DEFENDER’S WEEKLY • Tags: Defenders' Weekly
Defend the Defenders | February 12, 2023
Activist Tran Bang was proposed for prosecution on “conducting anti-state propaganda”
Police in Ho Chi Minh City have completed investigation against local activist Tran Van Bang (Tran Bang) and transferred his case to the city’s People’s Procuracy with a proposal to prosecute him on “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
The investigation ended in mid January and he is permitted to meet his lawyers and relatives, according to Saigon-based lawyer Dang Dinh Manh, who is hired by Bang’s family to provide legal counseling together with attorney Nguyen Van Mieng.
Mr. Bang, 62, was arrested on March 1, 2022 on allegation of “Making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” per Clause 1, Article 117 which is considered controversial by the international community to silence local dissidents and human rights defenders.
He was held incommunicado until mid-September last year when the city’s Police ended the investigation and transferred the case to the Procuracy. However, the Procuracy returned his case and requested for further investigation.
Lawyer Dang Dinh Manh said according to the final police investigation’s results, his client was accused of producing and posting 31 articles with anti-state content between March 2016 and August 2021. The activist is facing imprisonment of between five and 12 years if convicted.
Meanwhile, Bang’s health is critical with a tumor in his inguinal area although he was sent to medical check-up in December 2022 and January this year.
Bang affirms that he has no plan to oppose the communist regime but criticized it for its wrongdoings. He told his family that he wishes to go abroad for proper medical treatment.
He is among 11 activists arrested on the “conducting anti-state propaganda” allegation last year. In 2022, eight activists were convicted of the charge and sentenced to between five and eight years in prison, according to Defend the Defenders’ statistics.
American Congressmen calls for release of activist Huynh Thuc Vy
Two American lawmakers named Rep. Gerald E. Connolly and Rep. Ro Khanna have urged the Vietnamese government to release Huynh Thuc Vy, a woman serving a 33-month sentence for spraying paint on the country’s national flag.
In his letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on January 31, Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, urged the administration to pressure Vietnam to release Vy, whom he described as an independent blogger writing about human rights and socio-political issues in Vietnam since 2008.
“Vietnam’s politically motivated imprisonment and physical abuse of Ms. Huynh is an affront to freedom of expression and press freedom. She and the 20 other journalists imprisoned in Vietnam as of December 1, 2022, should be released immediately,” Connolly said in the letter.
On the same day, Khanna, a Democrat from California, also called for her release on Twitter.
“I urge the Vietnamese government to release Huynh Thuc Vy, a journalist and human rights activist. The Vietnamese government and prison guards must be held accountable for Vy’s treatment during her imprisonment,” Khanna said.
Khanna said his office would continue to monitor the situation.
On Dec. 30, 2022, Khanna also called on the Vietnamese government to “immediately and unconditionally release” human rights activist Nguyen Thuy Hanh who was arrested in 2021 on the charge of “conducting anti-state propaganda.” She has been forced to receive treatment at a psychiatric hospital in the capital city of Hanoi over the past few months.
Details: U.S. lawmakers call for release of Vietnamese prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of Conscience Do The Hoa Freed with Two Eyes Nearly Blind
On February 9, Mr. Do The Hoa, a member of unregistered group Constitution, was released after four years and five months in prison on the allegation of “Disruption of security” under Article 118 of the Criminal Code.
Mr. Hoa, 55, returned home with two eyes nearly blind due to improper treatment in prison.
Hoa was arrested on September 1, 2018 together with seven members of the group which advocates for rules of law. They actively participated in the mass demonstration in HCM City on June 10, 2018 to protest two bills Special Economic Zone and Cyber Security.
In 2020, eight members of the group were convicted and sentenced to a total of 40 years and six months in prison. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
Hoa is the third being freed. Last year, Tran Thanh Phuong was released while Doan Thi Hong was freed one year earlier.
Details: Suffering from near total blindness, Vietnamese activist granted early prison release