VIETNAM

International PEN is outraged by the two-year prison sentence imposed on Nguyen Viet Chien and the two-year noncustodial sentence handed down to Nguyen Van Hai, both journalists targeted for their reporting on a major corruption case. PEN considers their convictions to be in violation of Article 19 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of expression, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

>> Read PEN's letter of appeal

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
According to PEN’s information, journalists Nguyen Viet Chien and Nguyen Van Hai, reporters for the Vietnamese language newspapers Thanh Nien and Tuoi Tre respectively, were both arrested May 13, 2008. Their detention was apparently linked to their reports on high-level corruption in the so-called “PMU-18” scandal in 2006.  The scandal reportedly provoked the resignation of some senior officials, some of whom were allegedly linked to stolen development funds which were used to gamble on European football, rather than to build roads and bridges. 
 
On October 15, 2008, the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced both journalists under Article 258 of the Vietnamese Penal Code for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interest of the State the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens.”  Nguyen Viet Chien was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading his innocence, while Nguyen Van Hai was handed a noncustodial two-year re-education sentence after he pled guilty.

PEN remains alarmed about the situation of freedom of expression in Vietnam. In September, there was an apparent crackdown on dissent as a number of writers were arrested for their peaceful dissident activities. It is believed that some of them are still detained while others remain under “residence surveillance.”

PLEASE SEND APPEALS...

• Protesting the sentences imposed on Nguyen Viet Chien and Nguyen Van Hai, and calling for their convictions to be quashed;

• Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained for the peaceful exercise of their right to free expression in Vietnam, in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Vietnam is a signatory.

SEND APPEALS 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. It would also be advantageous to ask your country’s diplomatic representatives in Vietnam to intervene in the case.

Please check with PEN if sending appeals after November 10, 2008: ftw@pen.org