VIETNAM: Blogger Pham Minh Hoang released — 20.01.2012
Sydney PEN joins the Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International in welcoming the release of French-Vietnamese university teacher and Internet writer Pham Minh Hoang on 13 January 2012. PEN International continues to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all other writers and journalists currently detained in Vietnam in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Vietnam is a signatory.
Pham Minh Hoang (pen name Phan Kien Quoc), was arrested in August 2010 and was convicted a year later for his critical online writings. He was found guilty of “activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s government” and was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of probationary detention. On 29 November 2011, Pham’s imprisonment sentence was reduced on appeal to seventeen months.
In his blog, Pham Minh Hoang has written about a variety of social topics, including freedom of expression, education, the environment and workers rights. He is said to be a member of the banned party Viet Tan.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
PEN International: “VIETNAM: Internet blogger Pham Minh Hoang’s sentence reduced”, 5 Dec 2011
PEN International: “French-Vietnamese teacher and writer Pham Minh Hoang sentenced to three years in prison”, 7 Aug 2011
PLEASE SEND APPEALS:
- Welcoming the release of university teacher and Internet writer Pham Minh Hoang;
- Demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all those currently detained in Vietnam in violation of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, protecting the right to freedom of expression.
SEND APPEALS TO:
Mr Truong Tan Sang
President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Hanoi
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Mr Pham Binh Minh
Minister of Foreign Affairs
1 Ton That Dam Street
Ba Dinh district, Ha Noi
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Fax: + 844 3823 1872
E-mail: bc.mfa “at” mofa.gov.vn
His Excellency Mr Vinh Thanh HOANG
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
6 Timbarra Crescent
O'Malley ACT 2606
Please send appeals immediately. Check with PEN International if sending appeals after 28 February 2012.
For further information please contact Cathy McCann at International PEN Writers in Prison Committee, Brownlow House, 50/51 High Holborn, London WC1V 6ER, Tel.+ 44 (0) 20 7405 0338, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7405 0339, email: cathy.mccann@pen-international.org