Blogger Truong Duy Nhat’s two-year prison sentence upheld

OnJune 26, 2014, the Supreme People's Court in Danang, Central Vietnam, uphelda two-year prison sentence against prominent blogger Truong Duy Nhat forpublishing online articles critical of the Government on his blog “ADifferent Point of View”. On March 4, 2014, Truong Duy Nhat had beensentenced by a court in Danang to two years’ imprisonment under Article 258(2)of the Criminal Code for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon theinterests of the State”. During the appeal hearing, Truong Duy Nhat was notallowed to defend the content of the 12 online articles that led to hisprosecution. The blogger has been detained since his arrest by the Vietnamesepolice on May 26, 2013.

TruongDuy Nhat is a former journalist with State-run newspapers “Bao Cong An Quang Nam Danang” (Quang Nam Danang Security Policenewspaper) and “Dai Doan Ket” (GreatSolidarity newspaper). In 2011, he quit his work as a reporter to write forhis blog “Mot Goc Nhin Khac” (ADifferent Point of View), which became widely known for its criticism ofthe Government. In his blog, Truong Duy Nhat frequently criticized theperformance of top Government officials, including the Prime Minister, from thepoint of view of the rights enshrined in Vietnam’s legislation and theinternational human rights covenants signed by Vietnam.

Ourorganisations urge the Vietnamese authorities to immediately andunconditionally release Truong Duy Nhat as well as all human rights defenders whoare currently serving long prison sentences or awaiting trial in Vietnam, aswell as to immediately repeal draconian laws that severely restrict freedom ofopinion and expression.

Our organisations reiterate their call on theVietnamese authorities to ensurein all circumstances that human rights defenders are able to carry out their legitimate activities without any hindrance andfear of reprisals, in line withthe United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For more information, please contact:

· VCHR: Penelope Faulkner(Vietnamese/French/English): +33 1 45 98 30 85

· FIDH: Arthur Manet: + 33 1 43 55 25 18

· OMCT:Delphine Reculeau: +41 22 809 49 39