HANOI, April 11 (dpa): Ahead of the trial on Wednesday of prominent Vietnamese activist and independent journalist Nguyen Lan Thang, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called for all charges against him to be dropped.
"Vietnam’s authorities systematically trample on human rights by punishing brave bloggers like Nguyen Lan Thang for expressing their views about the government," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Thang, who was arrested in July last year, will face trial in a closed-court session in Hanoi on Wednesday, having been charged with "making, storing, distributing, or disseminating information, documents, and items against the State" under Article 117 of Vietnam's Penal Code.
"Concerned governments, including Vietnam's trade partners in Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan should denounce the suppression of free speech and call for Nguyen Lan Thang's release," Robertson added.
The Vietnamese authorities have accused Thang of posting 12 "anti-state" videos on Facebook and YouTube, as well as storing books that allegedly defame the Communist Party of Vietnam.
According to Amnesty International, Thang was denied family visits and was only permitted to meet his lawyer on February 16, seven months after his initial arrest.
Ming Yu Hah, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for campaigns, said Thang’s peaceful activism and reporting "should be welcomed as part of legitimate public debate, but instead he is facing years in prison."
If found guilty, Thang faces up to 12 years in prison. = dpa
