Father Nguyen Van Ly -
Sydney PEN joins the Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International in protesting the re-arrest of Father Nguyen Van Ly on 25 July 2011.
Father Nguyen Van Ly
Editor and Catholic priest Father Nguyen Van Ly (pronounced – noiyen ven lee) was re-arrested by Vietnamese police on 25 July 2011, allegedly for distributing anti-government leaflets during his parole. Fr Van Ly had been on medical leave from an eight year prison sentence for over a year. He has been forcibly returned to prison to serve out the rest of his sentence to 2015. His personal health is at serious risk, as he suffers from partial paralysis and an enlarged prostate.
Sydney PEN urges members to ask Australian diplomatic representatives to intervene in the case, and ask them to pass on appeals to Vietnamese representatives protesting the re-arrest of Father Nguyen Van Ly, and expressing serious concerns for his health; calling for his immediate and unconditional release in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam is a state party; and on humanitarian grounds.
A sample letter on Fr Van Ly’s case is available here.