Trial against Imprisoned Land Rights Activist Trinh Ba Phuong Scheduled on September 8, Lengthy Imprisonment Expected

Defend the Defenders, August 29, 2025

The People’s Court of Da Nang City on September 8 will hold the first-instance hearing against imprisoned activist Trinh Ba Phuong on allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code, the same charge to which he was sentenced to ten years in prison four years ago.

According to his family, the court informed his lawyers Le Van Luan and Nguyen Thi Trang about the trial schedule by phone on Wednesday. However, both Hanoi-based attorneys have yet received the hard copy of the trial notice.

So far, the attorneys have not met him for preparation of his defense since the investigation against him ended in late July, his wife Do Thi Thu told Defend the Defenders.

Two weeks after being informed that the Da Nang Police Department completed their investigation in his case, on August 14, the two lawyers went to An Diem Prison camp where Phuong is serving his ten-year sentence, however, their request to meet him was denied as the local authorities said the trial judge has not been assigned.

On August 28, one day after receiving a call from the court noticing the trial schedule, the attorneys went to the prison for the second time with a hope to meet their client, however, the prison authorities refused to allow them to meet him without approval of the Department of Prison Management, Compulsory Education Facilities and Reformatories (Ministry of Public Security).

It is unclear whether Phuong will be permitted to meet his lawyers before his trial or not.

According to Vietnam’s law, defendants allegated of “conducting anti-state propaganda” may face imprisonment of between seven years to 12 years in prison, even life imprisonment. In Phuong’s case, it is likely he will be convicted with lengthy imprisonment given the fact that he was convicted for the same charge in late 2021 and his family is under continous suppression from the authoritarian regime in the Southeast Asia.

For months, Phuong has not been allowed to meet his family because of the investigation, his wife said.

According to the indictment issued by the Da Nang City’s People’s Procuracy, Phuong is charged with making and storing a banner with the content showing his protest against the ten-year imprisonment the Hanoi People’s Court gave him in the previous case. For this banner found in his cell, he was disciplined by the prison in the form of solitary imprisonment for ten days last year.

Phuong is the oldest son of land rights activists Can Thi Theu and Trinh Ba Khiem, who were sentenced to between 15 and 20 months in prison for objecting to the local authorities for confiscating land of Duong Noi commune without proper compensation for property development projects.

For voicing against land confiscation and supporting Dong Tam villagers in 2020, Theu and her two sons were arrested and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” in June 2020 in separate cases. Later, she and her second son Trinh Ba Tư were sentenced to eight years in prison each while Phuong was given ten years in trials which failed to meet international standards for fair hearing.

Phuong said during the investigation last time, he was tortured by police officers.

After being convicted, Phuong was transferred to An Diem Prison camp where he and other prisoners of conscience such as Truong Dung, Hoang Duc Binh, Nguyen Thai Binh, and Phan Cong Hai often held mini protests to object inhumane treatment of prisoners.

Thanks to their contributions, Theu and her sons Phuong and Tu, were honored with Human Righte Awards 2023 by the US-based Vietnam Human Rights Network.