Saigon: Abuse of "democratic freedoms ", 15 months in prison for Vietnamese activist
Ho Chi Minh City
( AsiaNews) - A court in the southern province of Long An has sentenced the 30
year old activist Vietnamese Dinh Nhat Uy to 15 months in prison, later
commuted to house arrest. The
verdict arrived yesterday, after a trial lasting only one day, on charges of
"abusing democratic freedoms" on social networks. The
young man is guilty of using Facebook to
call for the release of his older brother - who is serving four years in prison
- and for denouncing "China's imperialist and expansionist" policy in the
Asia-Pacific region . Campaigns
to support the young man proved to no avail including Masses and prayer
services held by Catholic groups for the family.
The
Vietnamese communist regime continues to crack down on internal dissent and the
initiatives of those who, in the public square or on the web, ask for
constitutional reforms, greater rights and religious freedom. And
for the first time Hanoi has punished a citizen for a comment posted on a
social network, according to a controversial law adopted in early August (the
infamous Decree 72), the application of which remains unclear . Vietnam
thus confirms its reputation as an "enemy of the Internet" , as
pointed out by Reporters Without Borders
( RSF ) .
In
Vietnam, the condemned with suspended sentences are then forced into a sort of
personal restriction comparable with house arrest, with limits their movement
and includes frequent police checks. The
defense lawyer claimed the complete innocence his client and called for his
immediate release because he is a "victim of an injustice ."
The
court sentenced Dinh Nhat Uy in accordance with Article 258 of the Penal Code,
which covers crimes committed for " abusing democratic freedoms , against
the interests of the State" . A crime that
can lead to seven years in prison . Outside
the court a group of supporters chanted slogans and songs, demanding the
release of the young man , under the watchful eye of the security forces who
controlled their every move.
30 year
old Nhat Uy was born in 1983 in the province of Long An . His
arrest came on 15 June this year and is linked to the campaign promoted on the
internet - Facebook - calling for the release of his brother Nguyen Dinh Kha ,
who is also in jail and was sentenced May 16 to four years in prison. Ironically,
the two brothers were tried and convicted in the same court .
On
October 24, the mother of the two Vietnamese activists, Ngueyn Thi Kim Lien ,
wrote a letter to the Vietnamese people, international agencies present in the
Vietnamese territory and human rights organizations to advocate for her children.
A
few days later, on the 27th, the family - of Buddhist faith - turned to the
Redemptorist Fathers of Saigon, who promoted a prayer service which was
attended by over 1500 people both Catholics and non Catholics. The
prayer intentions included the release of the two young men and the hope that
the Vietnamese Parliament would be inspired to write a "new constitution."
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18/02/2020 10:04
