Posted
March 26th, 2010
by
English PEN welcomes the release of editor and Catholic priest Father Nguyen Van Ly on 15 March 2010 on medical grounds. However, we remain concerned that his release is conditional, and that he is expected to return to prison in March 2011 to complete his full eight-year prison term. English PEN considers that the sentence against Father Nguyen Van Ly is in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam is a state party, and continues to call for all charges against him to be dropped.
According to our information, on 15 March 2010 the Supreme Judge of the People’s Court of Ha Nam province, decided to temporarily defer Nguyen Van Ly’s imprisonment for one year, and ordered that he should be placed under the administration of the People’s Committee of Vinh Ninh Ward, Hue City, Thua Thien, Hue province. Nguyen Van Ly’s health has seriously deteriorated in recent months, and he is said to be in urgent need of medical treatment which is unavailable in prison.
Nguyen Van Ly, a Catholic priest and co-editor of the underground online magazine Tu do Ngôn luan (Free Speech), was arrested on 19 February 2007 and sentenced to eight years in prison on 30 March 2007 for ‘propaganda against the State’. Nguyen Van Ly is a leading member of the pro-democracy movement Bloc 8406. He was previously detained from 1977-1978, and again from 1983-1992 for his activism in support of freedom of expression and religion. He was sentenced in October 2001 to 15 years in prison for his online publication of an essay on human rights violations in Vietnam, but released under amnesty in February 2005. He has been a main case of International PEN, and is an Honorary Member of Sydney PEN.
More information:
BBC report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8569304.stm
A video of his trial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUSJeAakoXI
WiPC latest alert on Nguyen Van Ly: http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/go/news/vietnam-serious-health-concerns-for-two-detained-writers
Please send appeals:
• Welcoming the release of Father Nguyen Van Ly on health grounds, and calling for his unconditional release in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam is a state party;
• Seeking assurances that Father Ly is given the medical treatment he requires as a matter of urgency.
Appeals to be sent to:
His Excellency Nguyên Minh Triêt
President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
C/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Hanoi
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Nguyên Tân Dung
Prime Minister
1 Hoang Hoa Tham Street
Hanoi
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Lê Doan Hop
Minister of Culture and Information
1 Hoang Hoa Tham Street
Hanoi
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Please note that there are no fax numbers available for the Vietnamese authorities, so you may wish to ask the diplomatic representative for Vietnam in your country to forward your appeals.
Vietnamese Embassy, London, United Kingdom
His Excellency Tran Quang Hoan
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
12 – 14 Victoria Road
W8 5RD
United Kingdom
You may also wish to write to the British Embassy in Hanoi encouraging them to voice their concerns about this case.
British Embassy, Hanoi, Vietnam
His Excellency Mr Mark Kent
Central Building
4th floor
31 Hai Ba Trung
Hanoi
Vietnam
Fax: ( 84) (4)3936 0561 (for Embassy in general)
*** Please do let us know if you send appeals, and certainly if you should receive any response. ***
Originally posted with the url: www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/bulletins/vietnameditorandpriestnguyenvanlyreleased/
